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UBRAR^^^/oy THE 


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SIR WILLIAM 
BEECHEY, R.A. 



SIR WILLIAM 
BEECHEY, R.A. 




SIR WILLIAM 
BEECHEY, R.A. 



W; ROBERTS 



W oawTiKV I 



LONDON; DUCKWORTH AND CO. 

NVW vncK . CHARLKS SCRIBNER'S SONS 



All rights rturvtd 



PREFACE 



SiE William Bekchey is one of the many dis- 
tinguished artists of the Early English school whose 
merits have not been sufficiently recognised, and the 
object of this book is to show that this neglect is 
unjustified. It is not claimed that Beechey ranks side 
by side with Sir Joshua Reynolds, Gainsborough and 
Romney ; but just as all officers in an army cannot be 
Generals — at the same time, at all events — so it may be 
urged that men of the second i-ank are indispensable. 
Beechey, with such men as Opie, Northcote, and many 
others greatly helped to consolidate and to continue 
the position and work begun by the few men whose 
fame has to some degree overshadowed the merits and 
achievements of the lesser artists. 

This monograph is biographical and iconographical 
rather than critical. Each generation has its formulas 
and schools of art criticism, but the opinion of to-day 
often Ijecomes the ai'chaic curiosity of to-moiTow. 
have therefore taken upon myself the less ambitious 
but, I think, the more permanently useful office of 
chronicler. My own preference would have been a 
Catalogue Raisonnc of Beechey's work, and it is in this 
form that my material was first arranged ; but it would 





PREFACE 

not have fallen in with the general scheme of the series 
in which this volume c^pears. So my Catalogue 
Raisonni may be conveniently postponed, and an 
exhaustive Index serve here in its stead. 

The material in connection with Beechey and his 
pictures is much more voluminous than I had antici- 
pated. For over sixty years his brush was never idle, 
and he had as sitters more than an average share of the 
distinguished and wealthy people of the last quarter of 
the eighteenth century and of the first thirty-nine years 
of the nineteenth century ; and so it would not be 
difficult to compile a. book in connection with hi^ work 
and his clients at least twice the size of this. As a first 
attempt, however, perhaps my book will be found 
sufficiently exhaustive and useful. 

Since the work was commenced, and after much of it 
was in type, many fresh facts have come under my 
notice. I had overlooked the acceptable bequest by 
William Thomas Sand by to the National Portrait 
Gallery in July 1904, namely, Beechey's portraits of his 
old friend Paul Sandby, painted in 1789, and Thomas 
Sandby painted in 179S. These are the two portraits 
which were exhibited at the Royal Academy of the 
respective years. The portrait of Mrs. Riley, mentioned 
on page \^Q, is more fully described on page 19if, and 
was lent to the recent exhibition of Old Masters at 
Burlington House (No. 118), by Sir Isidore Spielmann. 
The Oddie group with the title of " Children at Play " 
was reproduced in colours from the engraving by T. Park 
in The Connoisseur, vol. ii. page 7 ; and a similar 



PREFACE vii 

reproduction of Wilkin's engraving with the legend 
" Here Poor Boy without a Hat, take this Ha'penny " 
{page 140) was published in the same magazine of 
November 1906. The late Baroness Burdett-Coutts 
exhibited at the Grafton Gallery, 1894 (No. 172a), 
one of Beechey's many portraits of his wife. The 
publication of the Registers of St. George's, Hanover 
Square, has revealed the exact date, unknown to me 
until after the earlier sheets were printed off, of Beechey's 
second marriage. 

I have received assistance fi-om so many friends and 
correspondents that specific enumeration is difficult. 
My special thanks are due to several members of the 
artist's descendants, particularly to Mr. Ernest Beechey 
and his uncle, the late Canon St. Vincent Beechey, for 
the loan of letters ; to Mr. Sydney Chancellor and to the 
President and Council of the Royal Academy for per- 
mission to copy their extremely interesting and valuable 
Beechey Account Books; to Mrs. Champion -Tones, to 
Mrs. Commeline, to Mrs. F. A. Hopkins, to Mr. Herbert 
Jackson, for kindnesses of various kinds, all of which 
are acknowledged, however feebly, in the respective 
places. The Earl of Altamont has been good enough 
to take a keen interest in the book, and has settled 
several points about which I was in doubt — notably in 
connection with the group exhibited at the Royal 
Academy in 1809 (page 112), No. 62. Some of the 
papers of the period described this picture as represent- 
ing Mrs. and Miss Wetherell, and others as of Mrs. 
and Miss Cockerell. Lord Altamont tells me that it 




PREFACE 

represents Mrs. S. P. Cockerell, and Miss Cockerell, 
afterwards Mrs. Hungerford I'ollen. This picture, with 
the portrait of Samuel Pepys Cockerell (page 200), now 
belongs to Miss Cockerell of Mandeville Place, W, I 
am likewise indebted to Lord Altamont for clearing up 
the mystery in connection with the two copies of the 
Lady Sligo portrait mentioned on page IH: these 
are, there can be no doubt, the two half-length 
portraits in fancy dress now at Earl Howe's residence at 
Gopsall, Leicestershire, I have still further to acknow- 
ledge from the same source the information that 
Lady £mily Browne, of Montagu Square, possesses a 
portrait of Lord Stowell by Beechey of which I had 
no record. Mr. H, B, Spencer, the artist's grandson, 
possesseii a portmt of Beechey by himself painted in 
1794, and also H. P. Bone's enamel copy of it. 

I am also under consideiuble obligations to Mrs. 
Bruce Clarke, to Colonel Noel, to Mr. Humphry 
Ward, to Messi-s. Thomas Agnew and Sons, to Messrs, 
Colnaghi and Co., to Messrs. Christie, and to many 
others, particularly to the owners of the various 
pictures which form the subject of the illustrations ia 
this book. These illustrations wilt do murh to sub- 
stantiate Beechey s claim to rank as one of the leading 
figures in the annals of the Early English School 
of painting. There must still be in existence a lat^ 
number ol important portraits of which I have no 
record, and for particulai-s of which I should at any 
time be grateful. 

W. R. 
KovAL Societies' Club, S.W. 



CONTENTS 



CHAP. 

I- I753-I787 



II. I788-I797 30 

III. 1798-1806 57 

IV. 1807-1817 104 

V. 1818-1838 141 

VI. The Beechey Family and their Friends . 179 

VII. Some Other Portraits 197 

VIII. Beechey Account Books^ 1789-91, 1807-1826 220 

Appendix : Pictures Exhibited by the 

Beechey Family . . .261 



PAGE 

I 



Index 292 



^y ' ^^^H 


TITLE 


OWNER vAca ^^H 


Beechey, Sir William . 




Augusts Sophia, Princess 


Buckingham Palace . 4 ^^^| 


Augusta Sophia, Princess 


Duke of Cainbridge'i ^^| 




Collection ^^1 


Bathurst, Lady G. 


^^1 


(Adoration) 


Mr,. Marsland Hopkins . 13 ^H 


Beechey, Sir William 


National PoHrail Galleri/ . 18 ^^| 


Beechey, Sir William 


M». F. A. Hopkins ^H 




E. G. Raphael, Euj. 26 ^H 


Bernard, Lady 


Janiet Price Collection . 30 ^H 


, Bernard, Lady Thos. 


^H 


(Psyche) . . . 


W. Younger, E»q. . . 34 ^M 


Bourgeois, Sir P. F. 


Dulwich Gallery . . 40 


Boyce, Master 


Sir C. Tenrnnt . 46 


Boydell, John 


NationalPortrail Gallery . 52 ^^m 


Brother and Sister 


The Louvre ... 56 ^H 


Charlotte, Queen . 


Execdor, of W. L. Elkim, ^H 




Esq ^H 


1 Coppell, Mrs. 


Henry Pfu,ig,l,E>q. . 66 ■ 


^^^utta, Mrs. . 


Frow the Engraving . . 72 ^H 



r xii ILLUSTRATIONS 




1 TITLE 


OWNER 


max 


Crotch, V\'ininm 


Royal Academy of Mtaic 


;6 


Crowe, MisB . 


E. S. Trafford, Etq. 


80 


De La Warr, Lady 


Messrs. DoHidesivell . 


86 


Duckworth, Admiral 






Sir J. 


From the Engraving . 


9» 


EUsabeth, Princess 




96 


Fiddler, the Blind . 


Mrt. F. A. Hopkins 


lOO 


George IIL . 


ExeadQTS W. L. Eltins 






Esq. . . . 


106 


George 111. Reviewing 






the Dragoons 


Kensington Palace . 


113 


Hallatn, Henry 


Eton College . 


116 


Hebe .... 




126 


Herbert, Miss Georgina. 


ifei-. T. Cran-fo,^. B.D. 


Hill, Mrs. and Child 


Miss L. J. Reeve . 


■31 


Hoare, Hon. Louisa 


Col. H'. F. L. \oel 


.38 


Idle. Master . 


Mrs. Oscar Leslie Stepke* 


I4» 


Kent, the Duke of 


Salional PorlraU Gallery 


148 


Lady and Child 


li: n: Ilallam, Esq. 


154 


I^e, General Viscount, 






and Son 


Major J. C. Wardlaw 


158 


Little Mary . 


H. J. Pjungst. Esq. 


,64 


Marshal, Mrs. 


Messrs. P. and D. Colnagh 






and Co. 


170 


Mary, Princess 


Buckingham Palace . 


,76 


Merry, Mrs. . 


M. C. Sedelmeyer . 


183 


Noel, Hon. Mrs. W. M. 


Col. W. F. L. Noel . 


1S8 


Nollekens, Joseph . 


National Callery 


'94 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



xin 



TITLE 


OWNER 


PAGE 


Pelham-Clinton, Lady C. 


Earl of Radnor 


200 


Riley, Mrs, 


Sir Isidore Spiehnann 


206 


St Vincent, Tlie Earl of 


The Ijady Harris 


212 


Shelley, John, and his 






Sister. 


Dr. Charles E, Shelley . 


218 


Sheridan, Mrs., as St. 






Cecilia, after Sir J. 






Reynolds 


The Misses Cameron 


224 


Siddons, Mrs. 


National Portrait Gallery . 


230 


Sligo, Howe Second 






Marquess of 


Marquess of Sligo . 


236 


Tambourine Girl, The . 


Messrs. Thomas Agneiv and 






Sons .... 


242 


Wilkie, Sir David . 


National Gallery of 






Scotland 


248 


York, the Duchess of . 




254 



CHAPTER I 



Sir William Beechey occupies a singularly interesting 
place in the annals of English art. The contemporary 
and to some extent the friendly rival of the great men 
who founded the early English school of portrait 
painters, Reynolds, Gainsborough and Romney, he 
long outlived them all. He was an exhibitor at the 
Royal Academy in the year of Constable's birth, and 
was still exhibiting a year after his death. His appear- 
ance at the Royal Academy dates four yeai-s before that 
of Hoppner, whom he survived nearly thirty years ; he 
was exhibiting when his greatest rival. Sir Thomas 
Lawrence, was a child of eight, and was represented on 
the walls of the Academy for eight years after Law- 
rence's death. As an exhibitor he had twenty- sis years 
to the good when Sir Francis Grant, the eighth Presi- 
dent of the Royal Academy, was born. It will be seen, 
therefore, that Sir William Beechey's career as an 
exhibiting artist, covering as it does the extraordinarily 
long period of sixty -two years, is almost unique.' It 
began with the birth — or, at all events, witli the early 

• It may be melilioned ihat John Linnell, sen. (1792-1882), 
was cEhit^ling at Ihe Royal Academy from 1S07 10 1881, a period 



2 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

youth — of English art, and remained an important 
factor in the progress of that art long after it had 
triumphed over its early difficulties, and had emerged 
into the arena of acknowledged success. 

In other respects, too, Beechey had witnessed the 
passing of the old order of things and the establishment of 
the new ; the gradual metamorphosis of the London of 
the Stuarts and the Georges into the London of Victoria. 
The introduction of gas, railways and steamboats into 
every-day life were all witnessed by him ; the entire 
political re-arrangement of the Continent, and the 
gradual expansion of England from little more than a 
mere island kingdom to a great and mighty world- 
power, were among the events which synchronised with 
his working life. It seems strange, therefore, that a. 
man who lived through such an interesting period 
should have had to wait so long for a separate 
biography. It cannot be urged in extenuation of this 
neglect that his individuality was a small one, or that 
his work falls so far behind that of his rivals and con- 
temporaries that either may be regarded as a negligible 
quantity. For he was a man of strong character and 
originality, and enjoyed the patronage of the most 
distinguished men of his times. A mere glance at the 
reproductions in this book will sufficiently demonstrate 
the high quality of his work. The interest and im- 
of seventy-four years, which is probably a unique record so far 
<u this country is conceracd. Mr. W. P. Frith, R.A.. wu 
eihitHiinK from 1B40 to 1901, a lengtli of lime identical with tbftt of 
Beecbey. who. however, eihibiied up lo the year of bii death. 
Mr. Friib is still living, but has ceased la exhibit. 



i7S3-'787 



3 



poitance of his art may be seen to-day, but 
only imperfectly, in our national collections, for the 
finest of his pictures are in private hands and in the 
galleries of very many of the great residences in the 
land. 

The Beecheys had been settled at or near Burford on 
the Windrush for many generations. The artist's 
grandfather, Samuel, married Eleanor Mills, daughter 
of William Mills, and died in 1764. Their elder 
son, William, married Hannah, daughter of Francis 
Read (who was born in Dublin and who died at 
Burford). The elder William had one brother, 
Samuel, who married and settled, it is not known 
when, at Chipping Norton, and two sisters. Both 
William Beechey" and his wife died when their 
children were quite young, and the responsibility of 
bringing them up devolved upon Samuel Beechey, who, 
according to the family documents, was a solicitor or 
attorney. These children, four sons and one daughter, 
included William, afterwards Sir William Beechey.H.A., 
Samuel, who died unmarried about 1780, Thomas, who 
died in infancy, Hannah, who was twice married, and 
the youngest child, named Thomas after his deceased 
brother. 

It was Samuel Beechey "s wish that his nephew should 
become a lawyer, but the boy did not at all take to the 
proposition, for from his very early yeara his miud was 

* It 19 iateresting to note that the Gailltman's Magatiat ncorda 
ihB death on December iS, 1789, "at an advanced age" of 
"WUliam Beechey, senr., Esq., of Dublin." 




SIR WTLLIAM BEECHEY 



set on HiKwing, and his Ie«OD-books were embelliibed 
witb hif) sketches and caricatures. Voung Beechey 
doubtless attended the itid-eatabtiahcd Grammar :i^chool 
at Burford, and his artistic instinct would have been 
excited and cultivated by the famous LenthoU gallnr 
of portraits which remained iu the old hall at Burford 
until the choicer portion of them came up for sale at 
Christie's in 1 808. After various reproofe, Beechey's 
uncle, in despair, took to shutting the boy up in on 
attic with nothing but his school-books until he had 
mastered his lessons. One dav the uncle went up ai 
unial to let the boy out, and found the bird flown. He 
had escaped by climbing down a pear tree, and on 
looking out of the window the uncle saw the Imy flying 
across the fields. He tet otT after him, and on seeing 
that he was pursued the bov swam across the river, 
escaped, and begged his way to London. Soon after he 
arrived be passed a carriage- painter's eatabUshment and 
went in to watch : the mau seemed to be amused, and 
asked him what he wanted ; he said he wanted to earn 
some money, and thought he could {laint The good- 
natureri man said he should try, and gave him a board 
and paints and a device to copy : he was so pleased 
with the i-esult that he tinally employed him to assist. 
He got on so well that he painted the arms, etc., of 
icvcral great people's carriages, one of them, on hearing 
it wan (jnite a youth who had painted the panel of his 
carriage, axked to see him, heard his history, and had 
him tauf^t to paint While he was still a youth he i 
went irith Mme friends for a holiday into the eountiy^l 



,, / 



• • « < 

• 



1753-1787 



5 



and they decided upon a walking tour from London to 
Norwich. On their way they stopped one night at an 
inn, and the next day after breakfast discovered that 
they had no money left. Beechey at once offered to get 
them out of the dilemma, which he did by offering to 
replace the very shabby sign-board with a brand-new 
one in discharge of their account. The landlord agreed, 
and Beechey furnished him with a splendid sign of St. 
George and the Dragon. In after years Beechey made 
an attempt to get hold of this eariy work, but the land- 
lord and the sign had both disappeared. 

Such are the stories of Beechey 's early youth as handed 
down in the family. 

The hitherto published accounts of Beechey's earli^ 
years differ somewhat from those preserved by his 
descendants. Three obviously inspired accounts appeared 
during his lifetime — the first in the Monthly MiiTor of 
July 1798, the second in " Public Characters '' of 1800- 
1801, and the third in "The Cabinet of Modern Art," 
1836. edited by A. A. Watts. We gather from these 
articles, that he was born at Burford, Oxfoi'dshire, on 
December I2, 1753, and that he was intended "for 
the law," for which purpose he was placed " at the 
proper age" under an "eminent conveyancer" near 
Stow-in-the-Wold. Gloucestershire. But Beechey wa8 

" Early foredoom'd his father's [i.e., uncle's] soul to cross, 
And paint a picture when he should engross." 

He did not remain long at his first place : he was 
bent on coming to London, and to London he come. 



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'753-1787 7 

from Sir Joshua Reynolds himself, but this is doubtful ; 
Uawson Turner, who knew the artist personally, states 
in bis "Sepulchral Reminiscences,'' 1848 (p. 74) that 
Beechey studied under Zoftany, and the style of bis earlier 
works strongly supports this theory. The pi-obability is 
that he may have received hints from and visited the 
studios of both artists. It is also stated that soon after 
his entrance to the Academy schools, Beechey married, 
" before he had secured any certain provision for him- 
self.'' And this brings us to a point about which there 
is no room for any doubt — namely, that Beechey was 
twice married. This fact seems to be unknown to any 
of his numerous descendants. In more than one 
biography published during his lifetime there are 
references to the fact of his having been married more 
than once. Moreover, in J. Chamber's "General 
History of the County of Norfolk," 1829 (vol. i. p. 11 14), 
we have the following exceedingly explicit information 
respecting the artist and his second wife: "After the 
death of his first wife he married the present Lady 
Beechey, then residing at the foot of Mousehold Hill, 
who, having very early discovered considerable talent 
in crayon drawing, he, with that liberality which is his 
characteristic, gave her gratuitous instruction, and, 
having married her, he went to reside in London ; by this 
union he has fifteen children.thirteenof whom are living." 
Who the first wife was, when they were married, or 
when she died, are points about which we have found 
no information. That she was with him in Norwich 
when he first went there may be inferred fi-om an 



8 SIR WILLIAM BeEOffiP 

vxmatd pAH&ifc in hi» Note Book .niotni'im ji. jol IF 
the identity ai bis tint wife W mroivra i a imDcctainttr 
that of his ^emod it itt loMt i«si. Abou i^vilia .li 
(or Jesao|>)isdeaenbcd a»a. 'ivmnuiot ;^nnc ImatT, 
the fixiatinj; iiortcaitu ut lier. Iioth 
by honeir. ^tx> prow tbu. Tlwrnrv r.ud.intiieliuiii>>. 
to have if^cted >v -'rrnnunw inatcn.' hut [i 
" inuTud matriaipr" vrantri )»» laore iccmta 
tion. Miw J««aep (tliu -wrm to tor rhc innrv jyomtfr 
accepted fonn nl' -i^Iinit) ana Invn .it 'I3x)rpK on 
Auffoat 3, i7tt4, tJie liauiQbbir <d William fniiii)! iiT 
BuhofMigati, Nnrwidi^ an^ b» <«ife 'N« Hain. « 
"oonatend Jewvndaat; oC 9WfailpWK'' TItB wbooA 
aarriagv proMunaiol^ JliHii»>H>Jiin|iiwM until tTtfTiJnr 
in that yaar *!»■■ Jh- g- HiimTrfllurwi^ ■gdalatBit 
fiw jimwiny nit tlwr ttiy U JhaJJMBtt. 

He mad* i«||ii£ pRWOV^an «^ aliidt9it;.anit !it: OBE 



^*r^M 







mM ft* « M«. Wnfipaa fiw 1709. Thm «ht fac fiA-iB 
t,apy *M )»»> prvf'Mtj' af tfca late Mr. T. H. Woodi. 
a fivn>MV fMHnM tn ihm Cm af Qwwtiet Mawi and 
WoMk* at whoM Mtl« on Msjr 36, 1906. it ■•> boogbt 
Uf Mr. i. L Hntlfy, for 7509L ** Daring Una period " 




H.K.H. rlllSCESS AUGUBTA SOPBIA I 
Frnm tht Duke nf Cantbridgt'i Coll 



1753-J787 9 

(weareagsiu quoting " Public Characters"), "labouring 
up hill to attain that rank in his profession which he 
must have felt he had a right to, he inevitably esperieiicsd 
many difficulties under which a common mind would 
have sunk. But the ardour and energy of his spirit 
supported him ; for, happily, with the ambition of 
attaining reputation, he possessed the power of deserving 
it, and surmounted every obstacle." 

An artist's first picture— like an author's first book — 
possesses a distinctly sentimental interest, at all events 
to the artist himself and to his family. Henry AngeJo 
telJs us in his interesting" Reminiscences'": " It is with 
additional gratification 1 can add that the second 
portrait painted by Sir William Beechey was of my 
father, the first which this distinguished veteran of the 
British School painted, being that of my father's 
esteemed friend, the Chevalier Ruspini, whose elegant 
hospitalities I have often enjoyed at his house, then 
situated at the comer of St. Albans Street.'" As 
Angelo also claimed that Hoppner's first portrait was 
painted for him, perhaps his memory was slightly con- 
futed. According to the accounts published in IJeechey's 
lifetime, the artist's first serious patron would seem to 
have been Dr. Strachey, afterwards j\rch deacon of 
Suffolk, who happened " by accident to see one of his 
productions," with which Strachey was so pleased " that 
he immediately employed the artist to paint himself 
and family" (Monthly Mirror). But here again there 
seems to be a slight discrepancy, for Beechey's most 
important work for Dr. Strachey was done in 1789, 



lo SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

according to the artist's Account-Book, but there were 
perhaps earlier commissions, of which we have no record, 
executed for the Archdeacon. Soon after this Beechey 
was introduced by Mr. Fenton," " a gentleman of very 
elegant manners, and whose love for poetry and the 
arts is not unknown to the world," to Mr. Ruspini, who, 
in his turn, introduced him to the Duke and Duchess 
of Cumberland. The picture of the Chevalier's family 
was, it is said, Beechey 's first exhibit at Somerset 
House. This brings us to the year 1776, when Beechey 
(whose address is given in the catalogue as " at Mr. 
Leader's, Cross Street, Camby Market ") appeared for 
the first time at the Academy, Nos. 20 and 20x being 
" a small portrait " and " ditto." 

By "a small portrait" is meant a portrait on a 
small canvas similar to those executed by Hogarth and 
by Zoffany, or what are known as " small whole 
lengths." Curiously enough, several of these portraits^ 
among Beechey's earliest efforts, have come into the 
sale room during the last few years. Two portraits of 
Archdeacon Strachey, one a whole length on canvas, 
36 in. by 28 in., were sold at Christie's on May 7, 1898, 
but their very interesting character passed without 
notice and they all sold for less than £S each. One 
might have been almost described as a large miniature, 
seeing that it only measured 1 1 J in. by 9 in. It was 

* " Mr. FentoD " was Richard Fenton (1746-1831), topographer 
andpoel, whose" Poems" appeared in 1773, ho was a K.C., and the 
historian of Pembrokeshire ; Beechey's portrait of him was sold at 
Christie's, on February xy tgoj. 



1753-1787 " 

in this manner that Beechey continued generally but 
not exclusively to paint until 1790, and in which, 
according to the writer in "The Cabinet of Modem 
Art," Sir Thomas Lawrence was of opinion that no 
modem painter had ever excelled him in this de- 
partment of his art, either for correctness of resem- 
blance, delicacy of execution, or grace of design and 
composition. 

All the early catalogues of the Royal Academy 
possess a curious interest to-day, not only in connection 
with the artists whose names and works are now 
perfectly familiar to us, but also on account of the 
very large proportion of men who have long since sunk 
into hopeless oblivion— artists whose names will be 
vainly sought for in Bryan, and probably also in The 
Gentleman's Magazine. It is doubtless a case of the 
survival of the fittest. But in spite of the forgotten 
exhibitors who figured in the Royal Academy of 1776, 
there were nevertheless many represented there who 
were destined to remain living realities in the records of 
English art. The Fi-esident, Sir Joshua Reynolds 
overshadows all, both in greatness and in number, for 
his exhibits wei-e thirteen, of which four were whole- 
lengths, the Duchess of Devonshire, Mrs. Lloyd 
inscribing her name on the bark of a tree. Lord 
Althorp in the style of Vandyke, and OwiaA, whilst the 
smaller portraits included a half-length of Lord 
Temple, which Walpole described as " the finest 
portrait he ever painted," the well-known engraved 
portrait of Master Ci-ewe as Henry VIII,, and the 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

three-quarters of Garrick and the Duke of Devonshire. 
There were in all 330 exhibits by professional artists, 
and sixty-one " honorary exhibits," The exhibits were 
arranged alphabetically according to the artist's names, 
and turning over the pages of the rather shabby- 
looking catalogue we notice John Bacon, George 
Barrett, James Barry, F. Bartolozzi, Mary Benwell, 
J. Boydell, Sir George Chambers, Sir VV, Chambers, 
Richard Cosway, S. Cotes, N, Dance, Geo. Engleheart, 
W. Hodges {of " Piniblico "), N. Hone, Angelica KaufF- 
niann, J. Meyer, Northcote, Nollekens and B. West. 
Gainsborough was unrepresented at thisyear'sexhihition, 
and Romney, who had only just taken Cotes's house in 
Cavendish Square after his long residence in Italy, and 
quickly became Reynolds's most serious rival, was not 
an exhibitor, in 1776 or at any other time at the 
Academy. 1"he Academy of 1776 "proved more 
attractive than any of its predecessors, and produced 
;^I248 16*. " as against the jf looi 8*. of that of 1775 
(Sandby's " History of the Royal Academy," vol. i. 
P- 152)- 

We have given a few brief particulars of the Academy 
at which Beechey made his first appearance, and it will 
be interesting by way of comparison to look through 
the catalogue of the exhibition of 1837, the last but 
two at which he exhibited. The old order had indeed 
passed away giving place to the new. Sir Martin A. 
Shee was president, and Beechey's R.A. colleagues 
included such men as Calicott, Chalon, Sir Francis 
Chantrcy, Etty, Landseer, Clarkson Stanfield, J. M. W. 



175 3-1 78? 



13 



Turner, and David Wilkie- It was the last Academy 
at which Constable exhibited, 'llie 361 exhibits of 
1776 had int-reased to 1289, and probably every one of 
Beechey's fellow exhibitors of 1776 had long since been 
dead or ceased to exhibit. He was by many years the 
doyen of the exhibitors, although llobert Smirlte (who 
was no longer exhibiting) began to exhibit one year, 
and was elected an associate of the Academy two years, 
before Beechey. Smirke and Beechey were two of the 
six surviving Academicians whose elections took place 
in the eighteenth century. It is interesting to note 
that Smirke was just one year older than Beechey, and 
survived him sis years, dying in 1845, but as an 
exhibitor at the Royal Academy, Beechey preceded 
Smirke by just ten years. 

With such an extraordinary record, it is much to be 
regretted that Beechey has left us no souvenirs or 
reminiscences of his contemporaries. Very little is 
known of his personal traits, but we get just one or two 
outlines in Redgrave's "C«ntury of Painters" (1866, 
vol. ii. p. 341) : " The gossip of art has left us Httio 
to tell of Beechey, but we learn that he was of the old 
school, who did not abstain from the thoughtless use of 
unmeaning oaths. Calling on Constable, the landscape 
painter, he addressed him, ' Why, d — n it Constable, 
what a d — d fine picture you are making ; but you 
look d — d ill, and have got a d — d bad cold.'" It is 
said that in his later years Beechey complained of the 
increasing sobriety and decreasing conviviality of both 
artists and patrons of art. At one of the annual 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



dinners of the Academy he remarked that it "was 
confoundedly slow to what was the wont in his younger 
days, when the company did not separate until a duke 
and a painter were both put under the tabic fi-om the 
effects of the bottle," But when Beechey first practised 
his art, the artist was generally regarded as a nondesiTipt 
vagabond, chiefly fit to associate with strolling actors ; 
and his moumin;; for old times was only another way 
of admitting that in theory at least the artist had 
become a gentleman, or, at least, a respectable member 
of society. VVe get a few more pai-ticulars of a 
personal character from a sympathetic hut short 
obituary notice which appeared in The Gentkman''a 
Magazine (1839, vol. i. pp. 432-3): "In stature he 
was rather below the middle size, and was always active 
on his limbs, even down to a very recent penod,and 
his intellectual faculties were clear and healthy to the 
last ; his temperament was somewhat warm, and his 
friendships lasting ; his disposition was very cheerful all 
through life, and this happy turn of mind, together 
with his inexhaustible treasury of anecdote, which he 
disclosed with a good deal of original humour, made 
his companionship very agreeable." " The leading 
features in Sir William Beechcy's character," said the 
writer of The Times obituary notice, '* were a genuine 
simplicity of mind and manner, united with a frank- 
ness and cheerful urbanity which placed every one at 
their ease who approached him. His aimable disposi- 
tion never failed to have its influence in securing afiec- 
tioD or regard, while his high sense of honour and 



■753-1787 



•5 



unifoim rectitude of principles commanded esteem and 
respect. His heart and his purse were ever open at the 
call of humanity, and, though frequently imposed upon, 
he never lost the kindly feeling and the liberal disposi- 
tion which prompted him at once to commiserate and 
to succour, without the slightest regard to his own 
personal convenience, ... If posterity, in fact, 
should be able to appreciate his worth, as they will not 
fail to estimate his talent, he will live in the heart of 
every honest man to many a remote generation." 

There are mauy well -authenticated stories of Beechey's 
kinduesa to young artists. C R. Leslie, in his " Auto- 
biographical Recollections" (vol. ii. p. 27) admits this, 
adding, however, that : " I received very little encour- 
agement from him, as he pointed out innumerable 
faults, and not one part on which I had succeeded. He 
looked principally at the portrait, as the other was not 
so much in his line of painting. Sir William is extremely 
open and candid, even to bluntness. He told me when 
I was coming away that whenever I wanted another set 
down he would be happy to accommodate me. I shall 
certainly call frequently on him, although I must 
confess I felt somewhat dispirited, yet I consider it very 
wholesome chastisement, and am certain that I shall 
benefit much by it." Allston, the American artist, told 
Leslie that he once showed a picture to Sir William, who 
said to him : " Sir, that is not flesh but mud ; it is as 
much mud as if you had taken it out of the kennel and 
painted your picture," Allston himself has left us 
some amusing anecdotes concerning the artists of his 



i6 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

time, and one of these shows us Sir William Beechey 
criticising a young artist's picture: "Very well, C, 
very well indeed. You have improved, C. But, €., 
why did you make the coat and the background the 
same colour?" " For harmouy, sir," replied the youth, 
" Oh, no ! C., that's not harmony, that's monotony." 

From 1776 to 1782 Beechey was regularly hung at 
the Academy. His works were all anonymous portraits 
of ladies or gentlemen, whose names, with one excep- 
tion, have not been identified. In one case we have a 
" Conversation " piece ; in another a fancy picture of " a 
lady in the character of Venus," illustrating a passage 
Virgil's " .Bnid," His exhibits appear to have attracted 
little or no notice from thecriticsof theday, suchas they 
were, and the artist apparently himself felt that he was 
not making much headway. He had made the acquaint- 
ance of Reynolds, who was so pleased with some pictures 
from Beechey's pencil, "which he desii-ed to have left 
in his painting-room, that he not only placed them over 
his chimney-piece, but spoke of them in the kindest 
terms of approbation, and directed the attention of his 
various sitters to their merits." (" Cabinet of Modem 
Art.") P. F, Scguier, in his " Dictionary of Painters," 
1870 (p. 14) observes: "Beechey ranks with the 
followers of Sir Joshua, his pictures have the general 
effects of Sir Joshua's portraits, especially if viewed 
from a little distance; but on a closer inspection it 
will be found that the colouring is smoother and 
thinner. The hands, although well drawn, have con- 
siderably less imposto than Reynolds's, but, like 



I753-I787 



17 



Reynolds, he glazed his flesh tints; we find in them a 
slight glaze of vermilion and brown pink, yet the whites 
and very light colours in different parts of his portraits 
are frequently left pure and untoned, Beechey's full- 
length portraits stand well, heing easily and nicely 
outlined. . . . The landscape backgrounds of his 
portraits are nicely painted and usually toned with 
brown pink, asphaltum, or some such colour. An 
anecdote is told of Beechey, that on one occasion he 
had given too much tone or glaze to the foreground 
details of one of his portraits, so that the eye rested 
unpleasantly on the gilt sword-hilt in the portrait. 
On pointing out the grievance to Sir Joshua (who 
happened to come in at the moment), Sir Joshua took 
the palette from his friend, and introduced some un- 
toned or unbroken colour in the right comer of the 
portrait, the lightness or prominence of which immedi- 
diately drew the eye from the sword-hilt." 

During the first seven years of his career as an 
exhibitor at the Academy Beechey had six addresses in 
London. The first, as we have seen, was at Mr. Leader's; 
in 1777 he was living in Thomas Coiui, King Street, 
tiolden Square ; during the next two years he was 
residing at No. i. Chapel Court, King Street, Golden 
Square; in 1780 he was at No. 25, Cumberland Sti-eet, 
Middlesex Hospital ; in the following year his address 
is given as Dean Street, Soho ; and in 1782 as No. 12, 
Castle Street, Oxford Street. 

Beechey's visit to Norwich could not have been an 
accidental enterprise. We are told, indeed, that in 





SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

1782 he was " invited to spend a month " in that city, 
where he " found himself in the immediate receipt of so 
many commissions in that town aiid neighbourhood that 
he was induced to take up his abode there altogether." 
Beechey's visit was weil timed. Heins and Thomas 
Bardwell, who had for many years enjoyed a monopoly 
in portrait painting in Norwich and sm-rounding dis- 
tricts, had been dead for some years ; examples of their J 
portraiture are to be found still in many of the countiya 
houses in Norfolk, and several of each artist ore in St.1 
Andrew's Hall, Norwich- Very little is known concem-l 
ing lieechey's stay in Norwich or of the portraits I 
painted there. Dawson Turner tells us that he fre-l 
quently visited Yarmouth, " where he on one occasion^ 
resided for a twelvemonth"; but in old directories hsl 
is described as " W. Beechey, portrait painter, 4, Market! 
Place." and afterwards as " Limner at E. Leeds, 129, 
Pottergate Street." (The Caian, Michaelmas, 1899,1 
p. 21.) A diligent search through the files of the old.1 
Norwich newspapers and other records would doubtless. ■ 
reveal some interesting particulars concerning Beech^ ] 
and his various works. There are four portraits of bia 1 
at St. Andrew's Hall, the famous one of Nelson, " the I 
last for which Nelson sat," John Patteson (mayor in J 
1788), John Staniforth Patteson (mayor in 1825), and J 
Robert Partridge (sheriff in 1780 and mayor in I784)tl 
the last of these is the only one of the four painted b^a 
Beechey during his residence in Norwich : the 
was at the time living in the Market Place, "aa si 
medallion and portrait paint«r." According to* 



I753-I787 



19 



Chamber's " History of the County of Norfolk," this 
portrait of Partridge was " the first whole-length of the 
full size " which Beechey painted in Norwich. From the 
same authority also we learn that Michael Sharp was 
one of his pupils, from which it may be inferred that 
Beechey not only painted portraits but also gave lessons 
in painting in that city. 

Beechey exhibited nothing at the Royal Academy in 
1783 and 1784 ; but he broke fresh ground by sending 
three pictures from Norwich to the 1783 exhibition of 
old Society of Artists in London, and these were a Lady, 
whole length, a Gentleman, three-quarters, and a Family 
Group of small whole-lengths. We get a slight 
glimpse of his life at this period from an exceedingly 
interesting Note-Book, the property of Mr. Sydney 
Chancellor (whose wife is a granddaughter of the artist's 
son, Henry William Beechey). 'ITiis Note-Book was 
begun on August 21, 1784, and was originally intended 
for "common occurences.'" The following is the first 
entry : " Sunday 22 went to Lexham with Mrs. Chafe 
(or Chase), Mrs. Holl and Miss Mary Christmas in a 
post-chaise from the ' King's Head ' ; anived by two to 
dinner. Next day went to Raynham (to see Lord 
Townshend's pictures)* on horseback — some very fine 
portraits of Van Dyck, and a picture of Bellisarius of 
Sal. Rosa ; the figure of Bellisarius appears rather like 
an actor than a real blind man. A blind man, for 
instance, would not open his arms in the attitude of 

* These pictures, or a. considerable selection of tbem witli the 
Salvator Rom, were sold at Christie's on March 5 and 7, 1904, 



k 



20 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

making a soliloquv on human mutability and the vicis- 
situdes of time amongst surrounding riihin as though he 
either saw them, or was purposely led to the spot and 
told what objects were near him — you would not judge 
him to be blind if you did not know it before. The 
composition is extremely good, the design admirable, the 
chiaroscuro striking, but not judiciously contrived, for 
the hght leaves off too abruptly on the right thigh, and 
has a very disagreeable effect ; the colouring is excel- 
lent. I returned to Norwich with Mrs. Holl and Miss 
Sally Christmas the same evening, arrived about 8. 
Supt with Chafe, Mr, Bacon, Mrs. B., Mrs. Holl and 
MisB Christmas." 

Then follow two memorandums : *' October 25. Re- 
ceived letter from Mr. Ward, who is removed to 116 
Edgeware Road, Paddington ; " and " Mrs. B. went to 
London last Tuesday u-as a month the 28th September, 
1784." The italicised words are crossed out- The 
next half-page is completely blocked out, and the leaf 
which followed is cut out of the book. The following 
interesting notes occupy the whole of the next four 
pages : " Sold my picture of the Fortune Teller to 
Mr. Hudson, No. 48 Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, 
for 20 guineas, he gave me an order to paint him a com- 
panion, which I promised to do in 3 months." 

" Saw my pictures in the Exhibitions which appeared 
in a good stile, and which I shall endeavour to improve. 
Maltby's look'd rather flat for want of bolder 
shadows, 

" Aug, 6th went to do Mr. Cooper's at Yarm"', and 



finished Mrs, Cooper's picture, which was approved 
of, and on the nth went by Lord Orford's invitation 
to Houghton with Armstrong. Ld. Orford behaved 
very polite, and gave me an invitation to repeat my 
visit in 5 weeks, when Cipriani and Fuseli were to be 
there — I staid 3 days, and returned to Norwich on the 
Sunday. 

" Went to Ld- Orford's with Miles and Armstrong, 
where we meet with a very cordial reception from his 
lordship. Fuseli and Cipriani was there, who were 
extremely glad to see me, the latter seem'd mucli recovered 
from his late severe loss of his only daughter, a young 
lady of about 16, who was very accomplish't, and as 
her mother died several years before, she was in conse- 
quence very dear to her Father. I called on him in 
May last in London, and not knowing she was lately 
dead, unfortunately enquired after her health, he calmly 
answered 'she was very well.' At dinner time Ld. 
Orford desired the artists to sit together that they 
might have an opportunity of discoursing on topicks 
relative to the arts; the rest of the company consisted 
of aeronauts, and Balloon makers, namely. Major Money 
of Norwich, Mr. Blake, a young man in the sea service, 
Mr. Sheldon, the surgeon and lecturer, Mr. Thome, a 
projector of trifles, a gentleman and his son from Lynn, 
Lord Walpole and his son the Colonel, Captain some- 
body who rescued the Major from a watery death, and 
Major Loyd, a gentleman of a mild and aimable dis- 
position, whose little drawings in bistre does him great 
credit, considered as the productions of a gentleman 




22 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

who never studied the depths of the art ; he has some 
Ipjod pictures which he wishes me to look at — as the 
company consisted of such gentry, it ia natural to 
suppose that their conversation would tuin on nothine 
but what makes the best gas, what iDgredients 
nuike the best balloon varnish, the comparisoa between, 
Planchard [?] and some other Heronaut. etc, etc. etc 
so that the idea of his loi-dahip's puttiiifj the actisii 
tt^ther was j udicious, poUte and i:h&ritable. 

" On my asking Fuseli what was doing in London, 
he told me the manutactory in Newman Street went on 
as usual, that Re^-nolds was daubing away, and Gains- 
borough was painting pigs and blackguards. Cipriani 
informed me that Fuseli had a total aversion to Barry 
and his works, and proposed a scheme to nie of setting 
him completely up. as he term'd It, and which was, 
that the next day as we were drawing together we 
should praise the pictures of Barry in the Aldelphi. I 
began the attack by asking Fuaeli how he liked Barrv's 
pictures ai the Academy ; he said he did not know 
what to make of them, for as he did not understand 
Irish, he was unable to judge. On ray asking him if 
the pictures in the Adelphi had not great merit, he 
said, certainly they had merit, but it was more trouble 
to find it than it was worth, it was adamnM Irith com- 
position, he had put doctor Bumey up to the neck in 
the Thames playing with fat — water nymphs,"' 

The visit to Lord Orford was in August 1785, for 
Cipriani died on December 14 of that 



: ^-ear. Majm 



Money was John Money (1752-1817) an anny 



23 

and one of the earliest English aGroiiattts. who made 
two ascents in the year 1785- "Mr. Sheldon the 
surgeon " was doubtless John Sheldon (1752-180S) an 
anatomiiit who carried on a private anatomical school at 
Great Windmill Street from 1777 to 1788, and i:, said to 
have been the first Englishman to make balloon ascents. 
Beechey himself tells in the foregoing excerpts that he 
was in London in May {1785) so that his reference to 
" the Exhibition " would mean the Royal Academy of 
that year, in which he had nine pictures. The " Maltby " 
portrait would have been one of these, and this portrait 
is doubtless that of George Maltby, father of the 
fiiahop of Durham, now at the Durham Univci-sity. 

From the fact that Beechey encouraged John Ciome 
in his artistic aspirations, it has been assumed that the 
acquaintanceship between the two was first formed at 
Norwich, but this would not seem to have been the 
case. Dawson Turner, in his " Memoir ' of Crome, 
1838, thus reports Beechey's recollections of the founder 
of the Norwich School of Painting : " Crome, when I first 
knew him, must have been twenty years old [he was 
bom on December 22, 1768], and was a very awkward, 
uninformed country lad, but extremely shrewd in 
all his remarks upon art; though he wanted words 
and terms to expi-ess his meaning. As often as he 
came to town he never failed to call upon me, and to 
get what information I was able to give him upon the 
subject of that particular branch of art which he had 
made his study. His visits were very frequent, and all 
his time was spent in my painting-room, when I was not 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

[larticiilarly engaged. He iniprovtd so rapidlv that 
he delighted and astonished nie. He always dined and 
spent his evenings with me." 

Beechey contributed, as already stated, nothing at 
the exhibitions of 1783 and 1784, and so he may be 
presumed to have been proiitably employed in painting 
the portraits of the local gentry and celebrities of 
Norfolk. To the Academy of 1785 he sent nine 
pictures, of which three were small whole lengths, two 
were three-quarters (i.e., 30 in. by 25 in.) and one a 
fancy subject, The Witch of Endor. To the exhibition 
of the following year he also sent nine pictures from 
Norwich, chiefly portraits, one being of Master Crotch 
" the celebrated musical genius," and three others being 
A Gipn/ Fortune- Teller, The Conjurer, and " an alle- 
gorical picture painted for a society of United Friars in 
Norwich." I'he " United Friars," it may be mentioned, 
was a society founded on October 18, 1785, by Thomas 
ttansome of Gumey's Bank, William Wilkins, the 
architect, W. Beechey, the artist, Edward Miles, the 
artist, Thomaa Hall, Rishton Woodcock, and .John 
Cooke, and held its meetings in a house in St. Martins- 
at- Palace. 

With regard to one of these pictures. The Fortune- 
Teller, Beechey would seem to have painted two works, 
with this title. The earlier was probably that sold at 
Christie's on March 19, 1898," with the engranng" for 
a small sum; the canvas measured 21 in. by 16J in. 
On September 1, 1792, John Young published an 
engraving in mezzotint of what must have been an 



1 75 3- '787 



«5 



important group by Beechey under the same title. 
The engraving is thus described by J. Chaloner Smith, 
"British Mezzotinto Portraits," No. 72: "Whole 
lengths, on right, gipsy woman with child on her back, 
holding open the palm of a young girl's hand, whose 
face is averted from her in fright, and who is supported 
by a boy on left, who encourages her, small spaniel in 
front, trees in background." This engraving is dedicated 
to her Grace the Duchess of Devonshire, and on it the 
Devonshire and Spencer arms are quartered together. 
Chaloner Smith points out that this engraving is a 
companion to Young's mezzotint of Hoppner's The 
akoro, which is dedicated to Lady Duncannon, and 
has the Bessborough and Spencer arms. "The 
ladies," he says, "to whom those prints are dedicated 
were sisters, and there is every probability that the 
pictures were portraits of them and their children." 
This theory is extremely feasible, but the group is 
neither at Chatsworth nor at any of the other residences 
of the Duke of Devonshire. The portraits would 
represent the beautiful Georgiana, and her two children 
the Marquess of Hartington (who was born in 1790, 
and hia sister, Georgiana Dorothy (bom 1783) afterwards 
Countess of Carlisle. 

On the other hand, and except for very powerful 
reasons, it is scarcely likely that Beechey would have 
omitted exhibiting such an important picture, which 
may be that of A Nobleman^s Family with a Dog, in 
the 1791 Academy. The absence of the picture from 
the Duke of Devonshire's collection is explained to 



26 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

some exteat by the following entry in Beecliev''s Note- 
Book : "Mr. Young (the engraver) No. 28 Newman 
Street, Oxford Street, London, bought the Gypty of 
Hudson." 

The year 1787 wbls in several ways an important one 
for Beechey. In the iirst place, he had apparently 
either got tired of Norwich or bad pretty nearly 
exhausted it as a portrait-painting centre, and deter- 
mined to remove to the Metropolis. The removal to 
London was doubtless consonant to his own personal 
wishes, but it appears to have been accelerated *' by a 
lady of rank and fashion who held out to him such 
brilliant prospects of success and made him such 
splendid promises of patronage, that he was induced to 
rely so far upon them as to take a handsome house in 
Hill Street, Berkeley Square, in the contemplation of 
nothing short of immediate fame and fortune. The 
event, however, was far from equalling his anticipations; 
the promises were wholly disregarded, and fortune, as 
fickle as his patroness, soon left hitn to struggle with the 
difficulties of an expensive establishment — without any- 
thing likeaufficient means to support it," ("Cabinet of 
Modern Art.") The statements in this extract can 
only be accurate in part, as Beechey did nut take a 
house in Hill Street until 1789 — or, at least, until 
late in 1788— when all doubts as to his success were 
set at rest. In 1787 he resided temporarily at 10 
Charles Street, Covent Garden, removing at midsummer 
to 20 Lower Brook Street, Grosvenor Square, where he 
was living in 1788. In the exhibition of 1787 he wa& 



4 



i7S3-»787 

represented by only one picture, a small whole length 
portrait. The reason of this solitary exhibit is explained 
by a statement which appeared in the Morning 
ChronicJe of May 28, and as this was nothing less than 
a magnificent advertisement for the artist we do not 
hesitate to quote the paragraph, headed "Fifteen 
Portraits by Mr. Beechey," in full: "Why the Hoyal 
Academy should have rejected these beautiful perfor- 
mances we know not. But why they should have made 
their best acknowledgments to Mr. Beechey for such 
acquisitions is very obvious. Because we discover 
nothing (in that line of painting) in their miserable 
exhibition like them. We cannot help congratulating 
Mr. Beechey that what might have been of material 
injury and discouragement to him in his profession has 
turned out to him the most fortunate event possible, as 
we understand that in consequence of his exhibiting at 
the Lyceum, be has actually several bundled pounds 
worth of pictures bespoke." These rejected pictures, or 
such of them as were not commissions, were sold by 
private treaty by Vandergucht {whose house in Brook 
Street, he had taken), and an advertisement to that 
effect was inserted in the Moniimg Chronicle. The 
pictures in question " were not admissible in the Royal 
Academy, from their occupying too much space," 
according to the writer in " Public Characters." But 
if Beechey himself was all but excluded from the 1787 
Academy, the lady, Miss Jessup, who about this time 
became his wife, was represented by five drawings 
(Nos. 462, 584, 596, 658 and 662). 



^^f were 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



Much nii){fat be writtEn cooninihif; the eaiiy exfaifai?- 

or the Academy in vhich Beet^v took part. They 

uppn«d on or nboot April 24, aiid were clused at 

the latbsr part of May, thus nuDaining open for about 

ft month. In 1786 the doon w«re opened on May i. 

The admisaioQ w«« one sbiliin^. whit-b entitled the 

visitor to R catalogue. Ijp to and including 177^» thejr 

were held in Pall MalL and a view of the house, in 

which also Jhidm Christie for many yean Held hia 

auction*, is giveo in Sandby's "History of (he Royal 

Academy" (vol. i, p. 135). Vuarrclfi. penooal and 

profeanonal. were freqoent among the memberB and 

exUbiton, but Beecfaey appean to have muformly taken 

the wise part of holding aloof from these things, 'ilie 

exhibition of 1780 was held atrioraerset House, and tha 

intn-eased amommodation was auch that the receipts for 

admission amntinted to -i.^o'JQ >3.. an increaaeof ^1700 

over the preceding vear. TIub was tiie last year in which it 

was necessary to grant the Academy pecuniary aid from 

the Privv Puree, from which, between lyOq and 1780. a 

BOmof upwards oti^sooo was generously given. In 1781 

there was a serious defection on the part of many who 

bad supported the annual exhibitions. Cipriani. Copley, 

Dance, Pine, Hamphry, Peters, Wikon, Loutberboiirg, 

Wheatley, Bartolo/zi, and Miss Moser. were not i-epre- 

sented, and, acrording to one of the newspaper of the 

period, " not above ih R.A-s have exhibited this year. 

which is not one-half of tiuit body' The reason is not 

given, but it is suggested that -perhaps they may 

tWnle thfir repittation suBciently established 1 one of our 



1 



I 



1753-^787 



29 
r exhibits at at! 



great portrait painters (Romney) n 
on that presumption." 

Beechey's great friend among the Royal Academicians 
was Paul Sandby, one of the Foundation Members. 
Sandby imparted to him "advice in all matters relative 
to his profession, and encouraged and protected him in 
and out of the Academy, watching his interest on every 
occasion with the affectionate zeal of a parent ; indeed, 
Sir William ao considers him, and hardly ever mentions 
him, either in public or private company, but by the 
name of his ' father Sandby " ! " Beechey's portrait of 
Paul Sandby, exhibited at the Royal Academy of 1789, 
No. 241, was engraved by S, W. Reynolds in 1794. 

It was. as we have seen, at Norwich that he began "to 
paint as large as life." " Among the lest " (according to 
the MontMy Mirror) " a portrait of the beautiful Miss 
Ives (now Mrs. Bosanquet) added considerably to his 
reputation and produced some complimentary verses of 
no ordinary merit in the Norwich newspaper." This may 
have been the " portrait of a lady, half-length," exhibited 
in 1786, No. 200; the Miss Ives was Charlotte Elizabeth, 
who married in 1787 William Bosanquet, the London 
banker. Beechey's portraits of her father (a member of 
an eminent Norwich family) and mother were in the 
Royal Academy of 1788, 




mnn Beeefaer had bceit at least " nuineKia>lv*^ 

roprwwnted in the Acailerov ecuubitjons of 17H5 and 

ijSh — ho had nine pictur^B in lach — it w«a nut until 

ill* exhibition of ! JUS that he was ttUo^uatielv rqjre- 

•^nted hy portraits 01 which tho uitntilT cjuateb tiie 

■^momtv of th» public. It may ix uidiUiined that up 

'"> and indudiiwt 17117 poitndta were noiriy aimn 

snnnymon*. that is to sat. they ttppcand in the cat^. 

'"?«* w portnitn of J Lm^. J Z^* ««•■ ^'ito. A 

(^fftteman, .( .VoUmNm, Ji» Ariat, or souw sudt 

^«*»PwMon. I'nti! thw i-xceediii(^y fooUab ^petM 

nf >i<nnmHatme was disiarded. aome of the i ic w^ 

P«P"« m«*e a fiped«l featnre of pubitrfiiB(t. im tfan 

openmj of thr Aradcmy, a Ii«t ol tl» portimito 

^^with the AradnnT ('Atalflgne noraben and th« 

^■■^(nn- It in only by this inenv that the idntit^ 

^Bltf immy of the portnut» hons *' the finrt twotty- 

^^l^ AoMimiim am Ite lucertained. Tbe ccmptUf» 

"f thew li!*! would prob^y not have tnrablBd tbm- 

'^»«i lo aawitiiin the iii«ititi» of portimta hy an 

^^raVflown ftrtirt. Of the »ix portwits ( beaidei thtce 

^Bfrlpy TOhjects) which Beechey wot to the 1 788 AcwlBny, 




-1797 31 

the identities of five have been recovered. Besides the 
portraits of Mr. Jeremy Ives, of Norwich, and his wife, 
(respectively numbers 215 and 188) already mentioned, 
we have Captain Boyce* as " an officer in an outpost 
in America" {185), a Mr. Robinson (416}, an "an 
artist," who proves to be Dominic Scnes the marine 
painter (1722— 1793), one of the original members 
of the Royal Academy, of which he was Librarian in 
1792. 

The most interesting of the fancy subjects was, in 
one respect at least. Number 242, Iris, by command of 
Juito, re^iests Sommis tki- God of Sleep to said a Dream 
to Alcyone, based on a passage in Dryden's " I'ables." 
This picture is said to have been the first work painted 
by the artist on his arrival in London. The catalogue 
of the Beecheysaleat Christie's, June 11, 1836, describes 
it as "a charming composition, full of poetical feeling.'' 
It was bought in at that sale for fourteen guineas. 
Lavinia retumiitg from Gleaning (No. 54) and Dmma 
Mencia recovering from a swoon discovers the horror of 
)\^T SU»aiion,\iassdi. on well-known passages in Thom- 

• This portrait remained in possession of the family uQlil March 14, 
TS91. when it was sold at Christie's for a very small sum. On the 
same occasion a portrait of Master M. Boyce, a son of Captain 
(aficrwards Lieuleuani- Colonel) William Boyce. was purchased by 
Messrs. Agnew. and is nawin the collection formed by the late Sir 
Charles Teooaat, who also ownstheportrait of Captain Boyce, who, 
it may be added was appointed to a Captaincy in the Sixteenth or 
the Qoeeo's Regiment of Light Dragoons. September aS. 1781. 
The portrait of Master Boyce has been recently engraved, and is 
illnstraied in the privately printed Catalogue of Sir Charles 
Tennanl's pictures. 



5t SIR WILLIAM BEECHET 

aoBB - Swiwmii ' Aoa -- <>tl Bfas ' 
irthirr twn fiuKV pictiin» at cfae vhscl 

BBsefaawa lint nmlv LTcai aiMt auoi x.l!nl £ 

pactrnth. t«co oi « hicfa «hv ot liuuei diiwi iiubiihi h&X! 
mt L-oiDe d<wm tn 11^ ' T'te tint pickncB-sf the «av 
at lif« thai t>niuxs< '^^•' ii* UM v '.oto nnlicK irn n 
portnut ui Chariea ttcMMst. iliDttaB' ot Load i^'ammr- 
von" ("rabiEMt oi Mnaent -Vn." ;i. :odiu luni thb 
t Mr >uk. ..u> I'ortrmik -if .1 litmtitmmm la the 
Ibt' tMCios. rfe was huzuubbb. to UBiberk 
bv hift iriend >c8(ifaT, the " TMiramt oi Ikahat wa^ 
jtnsttv i tfiuw e ri bT tte M a hinnabig «> 
Kin » »>ttui|t inw> tJw '"at Uuke ut 
OBA irhn ItoMMiraii uor ornst witii sinmiur Tindn t 




tJw namt^ ;■( '-xMbitM [■"^■'■■■* In this vi«r be 
pMDted lortT-ainv ^lietuui a* lipntni tfaa ■vvaiL whicit 
w««i«ntla tha.VuuiiiiuH.aaiLiiitnn^tlia twaioilowin^ 
ream he isuntad titii»tT**a ;»rtiarta -it' wfaicti oniir 
twvntr-fiw lippHnd lU tlie ^Vcadsmv. Nasciv '.ha »■» 
piopoctiaa wwild iKofaabiy bu* tiaeo. ' ■— "'-ntifr 
HarinK the enauimr a ai nnw , 

Tbr Mnukhip >nth Hertwct '"«b lat^ iudag and 
piQfitab)& .\s mil be MU ftwa t^ efrtzdaa « tb 
fhaplar <iMiag «ith Beedwr^ sttMB- «iA. tear pw^ 



1788^1*797 33 

meats, the artist painted nine portraits of members of 
the Herbert family in 1789-90. In addition to the 
portrait of Charles Herbert already mentioned, Beechey 
painted another in 1799. He likewise did one of the 
Rev. Caroline Robert Herbert (so-called after Queen 
Caroline), brother of his patron, in 1791. and another 
of his sister Georgina in 1793. These three portraits 
remained in the collection of the late Sir Robert 
G. W. Herbert, G.C.B., of Ickleton, until July 
1905, and were all on canvas 30x25. We have 
only seen one of the three portraits, viii., that of 
Georgina Herbert, a work of admirable (quality, 
showing her at the age of forty-six, a half-figure, 
directed to right, head slightly turned and looking at 
spectator nearly full face, fresh complexion, hazel 
eyes, powdered hair, draped in black cloak, white fichu, 
large black hat with lace " curtain "" trimmings, and 
wealing brown muff. This charming work is now in 
the collection of the Rev. Thomas Crawford, B.D., of 
Bolnacraig, Perth, and is reproduced in here by his 
permission. Another version of this picture, inscnbed 
" Georgiana Herbert, ann, ffit, suae 46," and dated 
1793, belongs to the Earl of Ducie and is at Tort- 
worth Court. 

Beechey had now removed to Hill Street, Berkeley 
Square, and his commissions were rapidly increasing in 
number. His exhibits this year (1789) included those of 
two artists — both probably done con amore — Paul 
Sandby already mentioned, and Richard Cooper, Douglas, 
Bishop of Carlisle, and a " Naval Officer." Richard 



I 



34 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

CoopHT who ina said to tuve been bom about 1740 sad 
who divtl libout itti4 was the sao and nuiwsake of aa 
wtist obu settled iu Bdinbur^ : the vuimger Coopor 
«H » (Munter and oigrftvcr, ami studied in Paris uBda- 
J. P. Le Bw; haexiubitcdat tlie Roval Academy froto 
[778 to iSOQ, waa drawing master at Eton «nd a friend 
uf BavchevV Hto ^(mit mjok; tinw at Penance with 
Cutlib«rt BauwK (great- gnunifather uf the prewnt 
iMrnvTK ai tfav three Cooper portnuts). Richard Coopez- 
wa» pmbsbly bum in Bdinbatgb. and until 18M) his 
dcMx-iidiuit-* pww w wwi 'OfDtf hu iu ai off tfa« CaoonfpUef 
" Cooper* EntTY." which had balonged to Cooper's 
father ur ifnuidfather. That of .Ifr. Cooprr* Son 
(exhibited at the Ai.'adeniv '7>}2). Bamsay Cooper, 
DOW birloa(i« to Mr. J. A. BkincB. of Kidlington, Oxcmv 
and ift a whule-ieii)^ of a boy in a picturesqae walltiofp- 
dima ; B*wcb«y i* reportad to have )said later in lift 
that this portnit was the hart be had done. One of 
thaw two wurk^ waa painted at Eltham or Shooter'% 
Hill, whiRw thti Coopvn h^ed for a time. Mr. Batnea'' 
wiri¥iil puctrait w uf Mar^uvt Coopor, wife of Richard. 
tim portmit of Richard. Cooper now belongs to 
MVk Mkinw^ Htater. Tbtt Mr. and Mn, Cooper 
\ in the extract on p. ;i (rani Beecbey^ 
L OWT hare bean Richard Cotrpo- and hia 

Iu tTgo BevdivT'^ works beatan to attract the notice 
uf the newspaper critics, and one ot them went «o finr 
Ht> to admit that " Mr. Beechvy baa wom very fine 
pcvtraita (in the Academy) in which Ua exquisite twte 



I788-I797 



f.. _ 



35 



for colouring is finely displayed." This year's exhibi- 
tion was marked as some of the others had been, by 
quan-els among the menibers, and its opening was 
delayed a week in consequeiice. Later on in the year 
fresh dissension broke out, and Sir Joshua Reynolds 
" in-evocftbly determined to resign." In spite of the 
support of the King, who "particularly " desired that 
young Lawrence " should be elected," the result of the 
voting wa-s : Wheatley sixteen votes, Ijawrence three. 
This was not the first time that a candidate backed by 
Sir Joshua had been rejected, and the amiable autocrat 
of the Academy was naturally very indignant. The 
election was peculiarly obnoxious to Reynold.s for 
Wheatley's "moral conduct had offended decency." 
The rejection of the favourite of the King and the 
President would doubtless have blown over, in the 
usual course of things, but such a splendid opportunity 
for the exercise of his caustic wit was too good to be 
lost by Peter Pindar (John Wolcott), and he trans- 
forme I a parochial event into a national afiair. 
Nothing gave this satirist greater pleasure than to 
pour ridicule on officialism, and his vigorous satires 
enjoyed an enormous vogue. There was nothing 
delicate or refined about his references: he preferred 
the bludgeon to the rapier, and the incident under 
notice brought forth from him a series of cleverly- 
turned verses under the title of " The Right of Kings, 
or Loyal Odes to Disloyal Academicians," from which 
we cannot resist quoting two : 



L 





p m f Mt i <a£ "Sb. S. PterpHoC H«mpBh «' :»» i 



37 

Miss Farren (Countess of Derby), so well-known through 
engraving, and by nine others, groups and single 
portraits. Beechey also had never been more strongly 
represented than at the 1790 Academy, for his nine 
pictures included portraits of Lord Haddo {not 
" Harris " as appears in Mr. Graves's " Royal Academy 
Exhibitors "), the Earl of Aberdeen's eldest son George, 
he was born tn January 1764 and died in October 1791 
during the lifetime of his father ; Lord Macartney the 
distinguished diplomatist and colonial governor created 
Baron Macartney in 1776(1737-1806); Ixtrd Morton 
(Gtmi-ge 17th Earl), in the dress of the Scottish Society 
of Archei-s ^it was through Lord Morton's influence 
that Beechey was subsequently appointed Portrait 
Painter to the Queen) ; the Duke of Montagu ; Loi-d 
Stopford (eldest son of the 2nd Earl of Courtown), 
and Lord Dalkeith (eldest son of the 3i-d Duke of 
Buccleuch and afterwards 4th Duke), in addition to 
a portrait of a young nobleman ivhose identity has not 
been ascertained ; he also exhibited a portrait of him- 
self, doubtless that which was subsequently engraved 
for the Monthly Mirror. The Academy of 1790 has 
another intei'est inasmuch as it was the last at which 
Sir Joshua Reynolds exhibited, his works including his 
own portrait, a whole length of Mrs. Billington as St. 
Cecilia, and portraits of Lord Cholmondeley, Lord 
Bawdon, and Sir John Leicester : the first is described 
by Walpole a.s "very good," and the last as "very 
bad," Reynolds died on February 23, 1792, and was 
only unrepresented during his lifetime at one of the 



k 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

twenty-three eshibitionsheldsince the first one in 1769. 
Eighteen of the original members of the Royal 
Academy had preceded the President to the grave, and 
twenty-five new members had been elected during his 
term of office. 

Concurrently with the opening of this year's Academy 
there was published (May i, 1790), one of the earliest 
renderings of a picture by Beechey in mezzotint. This 
had been exhibited at Liverpool in 1787, No. 3, with the 
title of Rosalie and Lubiii ; the engraver was ThomaB 
Park, and the size of the engraving 20 in. by 23^ in. 
The picture is of an extensive landscape with trees and 
sheep, in the foreground a river with the drowning 
figure of Lubiii, and on the banks is the teiTor- 
stricken figure of Rosalie, who is bending forward on 
the brink of the river ; to it were appended the 
following lines: 

When as at eve beside a brook. 

Where stray "d their flocks, ihey sat and smil'd. 
One luckless lamb the current took, 
'Twas Rosalie's, she started wild, 
" Run Lubin, run my fav'rite save," 

Too fatally the youth obeyed, 
He ran, he plung'd into the wave 
To give the little wand'rer aid. 
But scarce he guides him to the shore. 
When faint and sunk poor Lubin dies. 

In point of numbei-3, Beechey waa well in evidence in 
the 1791 exhibition — he had nine pictures hung as 
against eleven by LAwrencc. Seveml were of titled 



I788-I797 



39 



people, although the name of only one has been 
recovered. No. 269, Lord Frederick Montagu ; another 
was a portrait of Robert Wilmot, Esq., and a third was 
a canvas containing portraits of Mr. Oddie's " family. 
These are the only three which have been identified. 
There were also portraits of A Lady of Qualiti/, of 
A Noblemmi's Family with a Dog (referred to on p. 15) 
and J GaUlenuttts Family with a Dog. To the 
Academy of the succeeding year (1792) when the 
exhibits had increased from 703 of the previous season 
to 780, Beechey sent nine portraits, two of which 
represented Lord and Lady Herbert, whilst the others 
were of Mr, Meux, doubtless the brewer. Captain 
Montgomery, Mr. Cooper's son (Hamsay Cooper, already 
referred to on p. 34), Mr. Greenwood, and Thomas 
Sandby, the architect and ciever draughtsman, brother 

* Therebas hitherto beeD some doubl about thecocrectoessof the 
name of tbia family. " Addie " is that found in contemporary 
records. Bui ao eotry in Beechey's Account Book under date 17S9, 
" Mr. Oddie's family .£84." dispenses with any further doubt in the 
matter. The sillers were the children of Henry Hoyle Oddie. a 
sohcilOT. of Carey Street, London, and Barnwell Cattle, Northamp- 
tonshire (where he died in 1S30, eighty-seven years of age). A 
miniature 0/ him by J. D. Engleheart, was exhibiled at Ihe Royal 
Academy, 1821 (No. 685). The Beechey group was engraved in 
meziotinl by Thomas Park ; it must have been a very charming 
one, judging from the engraving, and is thus described by Chaloner 
Smith ; ■■ Whole lengths, towards left a young lad standing, directed 
lowards tight, drawing back arrow and string of bow, bat and two 
arrows lying on the ground before liim, to left a little girl holding 
his coat, and looking in the direction in which Ihe arrow is about lo 
fly; a younger girl lying on ground behind him, looking to front; 
towards right an older girl, standing, directed and looking to right, 
laadscape in dislance." We have failed to trace the original. 



rfll r PHaitiiiiBi- rbfi 






VcK. 


Dabol'CInmc. n 




-i. PaRf»~<jaUlRW -^ 


--anFWBnir:, 


It •• pobiUad b» W. ae_..L 
Oaaxar %>n.~a>l '<lBU=. 

nf Itan- TlnWai«rh '<gi 


* tavB, oa ngbt litric ^j* m 




1788-1797 +1 

on left, he is in tatters, shoeless and stockingless, and 
hatless, holding stick under right arm, and a toy dog in 
the foreground. It was praised by ail the critics, one 
of whom however pointed out that : " Beechey's picture 
of the Beggar Boy, to justify the shiveiing and starved 
appearance, should have had the scene fVmler not 
Summer. Many of the parts, however, are fine ; and he 
is much improved of late." The name "Sir J. Forde," 
given in the newspapers of the time as the father of the 
children, is clearly an error for Sir Francis Ford, the 
first baronet (he was so created February 22, 1793) and 
M.P., the boy in the picture was doubtless his eldest son 
(horn in February 1787) afterwards second baronet. 

The other portraits respectively represented Colonel 
Barry and Mrs, Burch. The former, according to the 
Army List of this year, must have been Lieut.-Col. 
Henry Ban-y, of the 39th (or the East Middlesex) 
Regiment of Foot, to which he was appointed May 28, 
179O; and the latter was probably the wife of I. R. 
Burch, of g Chesterfield Street, London. 

It was probably this year in which Bcechey experi- 
enced a rebuff on the part of the Hanging Committee 
referred to by George Da we in his "Life of George 
Morland"'(i8o4): " The portrait of a nobleman painted 
by him (Beechey), being returned by the Hanging 
Committee of the Hoyal Academy, so incensed the 
peer, that he had the picture sent on to Buckingham 
Palace to be inspected by the King and the Royal 
Family, who all, in consequence, became sitters to the 
painter. This was the commencement of his fortunes '''' 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

(quoted by Redgrave, " A Century of Painters," vol. i. 
P- 338)- Further, Dawes goes bo far as to say : 
" Beechey may justly be considered the only original 
painter we have, all the rest being more or less the 
imitators of Sir Joshua." Beechey's growing reputation 
was at length recognised by the Academy authorities, 
and in 1793 he was elected an Associate. According to 
the writer of the obituary notice in the Gentleman's 
Magaxine (April 1839, p. 433) "in the same year 
('793) lis painted a whole length portrait of Queen 
Charlotte, who honoured him by the appointment of 
Her Majesty's Portrait Painter." This portrait was 
not exhibited until 1797, and, "notwithstanding its 
disfigurement by the frightful costume of the time (a 
disadvantage which has maiTed the beauty of some of 
Sir W. Beechey's pictures) is a remarkably fine work of 
art " (" Cabinet of Modem Art," p. 100), This portrait 
was apparently done an a "speculation," as it does not 
appear to be in the Royal collection, and was not 
exhibited at the Guelph Exhibition in 1891, when the 
late Queen lent a number of Beechey's portraits of 
Queen Charlotte's children, which had also appeared at 
the Academy of 1797. The portmit indeed would 
seem to have lain on Beechey's hands, for at his sale at 
Christie's rooms on June 11, 1836, when it was described 
as " the original engraved picture," it was bought in at 
60 guineas and at the Beechey sale at Rainy's, on 
July ig, 1839, the same portrait was "passed." The 
background of the portrait was formed by a view of the 
gardens at Frogmore. The portrait of the Que«D which 



1 788-1 797 



43 



we are permitted to reproduce here is probably a 
version of the picture in question. The bust of this 
portrait of the Queen was frequently engraved : by 
Itartolozzi in 179Q, with elaborate decorations as 
"Patroness of Botany and the Fine Arts," by M. A. 
Bourlier in 1806 and for Cadell's " British Gallery of 
Contemporary Portraits," 1809. It must have been a 
good portrait, for it met with the approval of Anthony 
Pasijiiin (John Williams) one of the most caustic art 
critics of the day, and an enemy of mankind generally, 
In his " Critical Guide to the Present Exhibition at the 
Royal Academy for 1797," Posqnin says: "This is a 
very forcible likeness of the Queen, and very reputable 
to ita author ; the figure is well drawn, and the colour- 
ing is like the object it represents, calm, harmonious 
and coiTect. The pretensions of Mr. Beechey to hold 
a high rank in this department of his profession, are so 
legal and uncontradicted, that we should be amazed at 
his not being an R.A., if we were less acquainted with 
the cabals and meannesses and personal pique which 
distract and disgi-ace the measures of this regal institu- 
tion" (p. 10). 

At the opening of the 1794 Academy Beechey ranked 
not only as an Associate, but as the Portrait Painter to 
Her Majesty. Lawrence was " H.A. elect" and 
Principal Painter in Ordinary to Her Majesty. 
Hoppner was an A.R.A. and Portrait Painter to 
the Prince of Wales. Into the comparative merits of 
these three men we do not propose to enter, but between 
them they very largely monopolised the fashionable 



44 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

portrait painting of the day. Reynolds and Gains- 
borough were gone ; Komney was in failing health, and 
no longer able to work with the incessant application of 
a few years previously. Opie, it is true, was in the full 
enjoyment of his powers; Martin A. Shee was making 
considerable headway as a porh-ait painter ; but beyond 
these the exponents of portrait painting were very 
second-rate indeed. Pasquin went so far as to say, in 
his notice of the 1794 Academy, that " we have but 
three decided portrait painters in the kingdom, which are; 
Romney, Shee and Beechey ; the rest are diseased with 
all Sir Joshua Reynolds's worst habits.'" In point of 
number, Beechey was well represented in the 1794 
Academy ;• he had eight portraits and one fancy 
picture. The portraits were Lady Arden (i.e., Margaret, 
eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Spencer Wilson, who 
married in 1787 Charles George Baron Arden, and died 
May 20, 1851 ; her second son became sixth Karl of 
Egmont in 1841), Loi-d IVacy (who died in 1797, when 
the title became extinct): Dr. Symonds; Mr. Wallis; the 
Bishop of Norwich (Dr. Charles Manners-Sutton, 1755- 
1 828, brother of the first Baron Manners, afterwards, in 
1805, Archbishop of Canterbury, the active Church 
revivalist) ; Dr. Strachey, who has already been 
mentioned (John Strachey, 1738-1818, Archdeacon of 
Suffolk, and Chaplain in Ordinary to George III., his 
elder brother, Henry, was created a Baronet in 1801) ; 

• Owing laJKely 10 the war with FrMce, and the unseiiled state 
of affairs generally, this year's exhibition contained only 670 nambers 
against 83G of the previous year. 



1788-1797 45 

and portraits of two gentlemen whose names have not 
come down to us. 

The fancy picture represented Mrs. A'iddort-s with the 
Emblems of Tragedy, in which Beechey would appear to 
have at once challenged Sir Joshua's famous masterpiece. 
The inevitable comparison was unfortunate for Beechey, 
assuming that it was ever in his mind to challenge Sir 
Joshua's supremacy. " Mr. Beechey, the artist, has 
finished a portrait of Mrs. Siddons in the character of 
Lady Macbeth in the dagger scene : Mr. Kemble is intro- 
duced in the same picture in the portrait of Macbeth." 
From a newspaper cutting in Messrs. Colnaghi'a 
possession, we gather that Beechey 's Mi's. Siddons 
was a failure; even his greatest advocate, Pascjuin, 
condemned it : " The figure " (he says) " is not accu- 
rately designed, and the attitude is affectedly disgusting. 
It conveys the semblance of a gypsy in sattin, disporting 
at a masquerade, rather than the murder-loving Melpo- 
mene. As a portrait the figure is too thin for the 
original, and as a picture it is too imperfect to be valuable 
to a connoiseur."" The same candid critic goes on to 
say: " Mr. Beechey has this year most unaccountably 
fallen off from himself. His pictures are neither so 
ricli, so graceful, or so true as they were the last year. 
He has suffered Mr. Hoppner to supersede him, which is 
a sufference that took place while his genius was tipsy 
and his enemies vigilant." The picture of Mrs. Siddons 
was distinctly " damned," and it remained in the artist's 
possession. At his sale at Christie's on June 11, 1836, 
it was bought in at sixty guineas, and at the sale at 



46 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



Rainy's, after his death, July 19, 1839, it was " passed.*" 
The portrait of Mrs. Siddons, it may be mentioned, 
was a whole length, and " although admirably painted " 
(says the writer of the biography of Beechey in the 
"Cabinet of Modern Art"), "the style of the head- 
dress and the hideous costume of the time deprive it of 
much of its value as a picture." There is, however, 
another Beechey portrait of the great actress now in the 
National Portrait Gallery (canvas, 29J in. by 24! in.), to 
which it was presented by Delane, the editor of The 
Timen, ill 1858 ; it was at one time the property of her 
nephew, Uoi-ace Tniss, and is said to have been 
" painted about 1798." It may, however, be the 
finished study for the whole-length portrait exhibited io 
1794. 

The "Dr. Symons" should read "Symmons," the 
personage being Charles Symmons {1749-1826), a well- 
known man of lettei-s, the biographer of Milton and 
Shakespeare, the translator of the ^neid ; a minor 
poet and a strong Whig in potitirs ; he was rector 
Narberth and Lampeter. The portrait, which Faaquin 
pronounced " fair, clear and unsophisticated," was 
described in one of the papers of the day as of " a 
clerg}'inan in his academical dress," and was engraved as 
a private plate by Grave. Symmons married in 1779 
Eli7Abeth, daughter of John Foley and sister of Sir J. 
Foley ; the Foleys of whom Beechey exhibited portraits 
in 1795 and 1800 were donbtlesit of the same family. 
The"Mrs,Syroonds and Family "of 1803 may have been 
the wife and children of the above Charles Symmons. In 



I 



k 



1 788-1 797 



47 



1794 Beechey removed from Hill Street to No. 8 George 
Street, Hanover Square, where he continued to reside 
until 1836, and in the occupation of which he was 
followed by Thomas Phillips, R.A. 

Beechey had eleven pictures in the Academy of 1795, 
of which ten were portraits; all with one exception 
have been identified. One of the best of these was a 
portrait of Miss de Vismes (No. 70) in a straw hat, and 
described as " remarkable for ease and elegance." This 
lady may have been a daughter of Gerard de Vismes, of 
Grosvenor Square, whose country residence was Wimble- 
don Lodge, " a new and elegant house," which he built, 
having for neighbours the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, 
John Home Tooke, and other celebrities. There was 
also a portrait of Mrs. Meux, Jr., without doubt Kliza, 
daughter of Henry Roxby, of Clapham Rise, who 
married, June 28, 1792, Richard Meux, elder brother of 
Henry Mens, first baronet, and probably sister of the 
Miss Roxby of the 1796 Academy. So. n^. Portrait of 
a Gentleman, was Thomas Le Mesurier, who matricu- 
lated at New College, Oxfoi-d, in June 1774, M.A. 1782, 
B.D, 1813, and became rector of Newton Longueville, 
Bucks, and of Haughton-le-Skerne, 1812, where he 
remained until his death in July 1822. This portrait, of 
which a private plate was engraved in stipple by Edward 
Finden, shows him to three-quarter length, seated in an 
arm-chair, looking slightly to right, in dark coat and 
vest, with ample white neckerchief tied into a bow, 
index finger of left hand in a partly opened volume. 
The portrait is the property of his great grandson, Mr. A. 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

S, Le Mesurier. No. i lo. Portrait of an Admiral, re- 
presented Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, 1734-1808, and 
the mezzotint engraving by Charles Townley, published 
in September 1795, shows this officer to thi-ee-quarter 
length, standing, directed to left, in uniform, right hand 
on flag on block to left, left band resting on hip beside 
hilt of sword. 

The others included Mr. Foley (probably the Hon, 
Andrew Foley, M.P.), son of the first Baron Foley (who 
was residing at this time at 52 Park Street, Grosvenor 
Square, and died on July 28, 18 1 8) : of Miss Watson ; of 
Lady Caroline Campbell, of Major-GeneralAlured Clarke, 
the distinguished officer who became Field Marshal in 
1830, and died in 1832, and of Mr, Hodges, who was 
probably William Hodges the artist, 

Becchey also had eleven exhibits in the Academy of 
1796 (which comprised 885 numbers as against 735 of 
the previous season), every one of which has been 
identified ; they were Miss Roxby ; Sir Phillip Stephens 
(1725-1809), the Secretary of the Admiralty, a F.R.S. 
and M.P. for Sandwich 1768-1806 (perhaps the " Mr. 
Stephens, Admiralty," whose name appears in the 1789 
list of Beechey pictures, and who was created a baronet 
in 1795); Miss Hadfield * (this picture is undoubtedly 
identical with the very fine whole-length portrait known 
a.s Mrs. Hatfield, the property of Lord Burton) ; Lady 
Young ; a lady from the East Indies, Mrs. Johnson ; 

* This lady wu probably Amelia Caroline, daugbler of General 
White, and wife of Joseph Hadfield, Esq., of Broad Street, London, 
a merchant to whom sbe was married at Low L^ytoD. £ucx, oa 

JUDB 16, I79J. 



F 



1788-1797 49 

Lad^ Rous (nee Charlotte Maria Whittaker), second 
wife of Sir John Rous, sixth baronet, created Daron 
Rous on May 28, 1796, and Earf of Stradbroke 
in July 182 1 ^ two officei-s, probably father and 
son, Captain Earle and Captain W. Earle — that of 
the latter may be identical with the portrait of William 
Earle, eldest son of Giles Earle, Esq. (the property of 
the Hon. Payan Dawnay, of Ben in borough Hall, Yorks), 
which was sold for a small sum at Christie's on Decem- 
ber 3, 1892 ; a Mr. Makepeace (possibly John Make- 
peace, Esq., of 4 Gray's Inn Square) ; Beechey's old 
friend and fellow student at the Royal Academy Schools, 
John Banister, Jr., who gave up art for the stage ; and 
a portrait of Mr. Meux, possibly the son of the Mr. 
Meux whose portrait was in the Academy of 1792 — i.e., 
Henry Meux, who was created a baronet in 1831. The 
picture of Lady Young, wife of Sir William Young, is 
described by Anthony Pasqiiin as "an admirable full- 
length, and is one of the best pictures in the exhibition.'^ 
That of " The Younger Banister" is admitted by the 
same authority to be a " delicate impressive Ukeness," 
whatever that may mean, and " is the best male portrait, 
in oils, in the present exhibition : why the hangmen have 
placed it in the ante-room we cannot devise, unless it 
arose from an aristocratic unwillingness to permit the 
subject to associate with what is termed the best com- 
pany." In some general remarks on the exhibition the 
same writer says : " In this exhibition we have three 
Portrait Painters who deserve particular notice, but not 
in the same degree : the Academy has not now a 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

Reynolds, whose genius in this branch of the art 
towered far above any thing now in existence: but if 
the Portrait Painters of the present day be brought 
before the tribunal of fair criticism, aiid tried by the 
evidence before it — viz., their works exhibited in the 
collection at Somerset House — the pre-eminence cannot 
be denied to BEECHEY : LAWRENCE follows him ; 
and then, magtio intercallo, HOPPNER and HAMIL- 
TON " ; and, further, that " nothing but the grossest 
partially can dispute this fact." 

In dealing generally with the exhibits of Beechey, 
Lawrence and Hoppner, a writer in ^e Monthly Mirror 
of May 1796 observes: "Beechey has fewer eccentri- 
cities than his competitors — for he never distorts his 
figures for the sake of extravagant attitude — he is less 
fantastic in his design and less exuberant in manner, in 
short, he has more nature than the other two. . . . 
Beechey, who is more fixed and determinate, both in 
his colouring and outline, studies only to be chaste. 
Nothing will better ascertain this than a comparison of 
his portraits of Sir Phillip Stephens and Ljidy Young 
with Hoppner's Duke of Bedford and Lady Charlotte 
Campbell and Lawrence's Duke of Leeds and Miss 
Ogilvie." 

Although Pasquin's verdict has nut been wholly 
i-atified by posterity, it probably reflected the general 
opinion of the critics at the time it was written. We 
get, also from Anthony Pasquin, one of those little 
side-lights on the artistic temperament which shows 
that human nature was pretty much the same a century 





I7S8-I797 

or more ago as it ia to-da^. Before the final arrange- 
ment of the exhibits, we are told that Mr. Hoppner 
and Mr. Westall, who were nominated as the hangmen 
of the year, discovered that there were too many 
pictm-ea: "The former wrote a cai-d to Mr. Beechey 
informing him that if he would withdraw one of his 
whole-length portraits, he would withdraw one likei 
extraordinary as it may seem, there was no answer 
returned to this epistle; hut the measure took place, 
and ilr. Heechey was so highly incensed at the presump- 
tion of Mr, Hoppner, that he sent angrily to have all 
bis pictures returned, but sent in vain. We have only 
to remark that Mr. Beeehey was very much in the 
wrong to attach any idea of presmiiption to a gentleman 
so proverbial for modesty and good sense as Mr. 
Hoppner ; and we tmst, he feels aba.ihed at such a 
misappropriation of epithet." (" A Critical Guide to the 
Exhibition of the Royal Academy," pp. 5-6.) 

Pasquin''s above-quoted verdict probably held good 
at the Academy of 1797, when Beechey had six 
portraits of royal pci'sonages hung, in addition to 
three othere. It was the year of I^wrence's unfortunate 
Satan calling Am Legions, a subject which he might 
quite well have left in the hands of Fuseli, in whose 
particular preserves the young artist would seem to be 
poaching. Lawrence's Satan, upon which he had 
expended an enormous amount of time and energy, was 
generally condemned; it is now the property of the 
lioyal Academy, having been purchased at the artist's 
sale on June 18, 1 831, for 480 guineas ; and the general 




52 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



opinion upon it passed in 1797 will be generally ratified 
by any one who cares to examine the picture 
to-day. In addition to the Sataji Lawrence had six 
portraits in this Academy, one of which was of Mrs. 
Siddons, against Beechey's nine. The portrait of 
Queen Charlotte, painted some years previously, has 
already been referred to; the Princesses were Amelia 
(73), Elizabeth Augusta (80), Mary (106), and 
Elizabeth (107), and the Prince of Wales (91), so that 
the artist had made ainple use of his opportunities 
as a royal portrait- painter. The general opinion con- 
cerning the royal porti-aits was highly flattering to 
Beechey ; in his notice of Princess Elizabeth, the irre- 
pressible Pasquin describes it as "one of several vivid 
likenesses of the Princess ; the colouring is rather too 
tender, yet there is a fascination in it altogether which 
repays us richly for our attention, but this attribute is 
more congenial to the subject than the painter; this 
amiable lady seems to have all that bland dignity of 
mind which characterises her brother the prince, she 
governs our hearts by complacency, and ensnares our ■ 
good will by her condescension. ■ 

' Her liquid eyes ten thousand charms dispense, 1 

Breathing at once both love and Innocence.' " 

There seems to have been the usual blundering in 
compiling the oHicial catalogue — " the misnomers and 
misnumbcring in the catalogue ore pertinent and 
whimsical." According to the Gentleman's Magazine " 

* From the lame source (April 1839. p. 433). we learo that 
ki " employed to paiDt wbolc-leugth portrwu of all Ibe 



4 



k' 



17SS-1797 53 

this series of portraits was painted for the Prince of 
Wales. The compiler of the Guelph catalogue, how- 
ever, states that these portraits were " executed 
by the painter during his residence at Court, in the 
capacity of instructor to the princesses, who, with the 
King and Queen, entertained for him the strongest 
regard " up to the last (p. 17). This is more likeiy to 
be the correct version, for, if the Prince of Wales 
desired such a series, the strong probability is that he 
would have commissioned his own official portrait 
painter, John Hoppner. 

These portraits are all three-quarter length in size, 
on canvas 35 in. by 272- in., and nearly all were lent to 
the Guelph Exhibition, New Gallery, 1891, by Her 
Majesty Queen Victoria, from Buckingham Palace- 
The series as exhibited comprised the Princesses 
Charlotte, Amelia, Sophia, Elizabeth, Augusta and 
Mary, so that, apparently, those of Princesses 
Charlotte (afterwards Queen of Wurtemburg), and 
Sophia were not sent to the Academy, and possibly the 
portrait of the Prince of Wales is no longer at Bucking- 
ham Palace, in which case it would have been given 
away by the l*rince after his accession to the throne. 
" Mr. Beechey's portraits of the Royal Family are 
fine," says one of the critics ; " that of Her Majesty is 
the most pleasing resemblance we have seen ; had it 
i for an exhibition room it would have had 



Royal Family for the Gothic Palace erecting at Kew. There is also 
an apartment in Frogmore Palace which is decorftled entirely with 
portrails by Ihe same artist." 



54 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

more force. The portrait of the Princess Amelia 
(erroneously catalogued Princess Mary) i* in very 
elegant taste, well drawn and exquisitely coloured." 

The portraits of the Queen and her children enjoyed 
great popularity not only at the Academy, but as 
engravings. Nearly all of them were reproduced in 
La Belle AssembUe — the fatihionable and widely- 
circulated lady's magazine of the day — during 1806. 
and were also printed in coloui-s and published in a 
volume by E. Harding under the title of " Portraits of 
the \vholc of the Royal Family," 1806, whilst some of 
them were copied on enamel by Henry Bone. These 
engravings would have served aa a splendid advertise- 
ment of Beechey's talents as a portrait painter, and the 
inevitable result would have been a large number of 
commissions. There can be no doubt that the artist 
painted many replicas of these royal portraits. It was 
fitting that the portrait of Lord Cardigan, to whom it 
is stated Beeehey owed his introduction to George HI., 
should appear in the same exhibition, and it figures in 
the catalogue as No. 150, Portrait of a Nobleman, 
No. 165, was a Portrait of a Celebrate Actress, who 
has been identified as Miss Leake, the famous Drury 
Lane singer, a native of Norfolk, and a pupil of 
Dr. Arnold, the celebrated composer ; this portrait was 
engraved by Uidley for the Monthly Mirror of January 
i7<)9, and represents her standing near a pillar, smiling 
and holdingamask,with flowers in her hair. The portrait 
of Master Hatch as Marshall's attendant at the Montem 
concluded Bcechev's exhibits at the Academy of 1797- 

Every portrait painter has suffered serious financial 




1788-1797 55 

and probably artistic loss through the fickleness of 
sitters, some of whom keep the first few appointments 
to sit, while others have sufficient energy to see the 
portrait finished, but not enough to pay ibr and take 
the picture home. Romney had several scores of sitters 
of both types, Beechey had them also, and the follow- 
ing interesting letter shows that at least one of these 
dilatory sitters had the thoughtfulness to make good 
his remissness. The letter, written from Colchester on 
January 3, 1805. refers to a portrait begun in 1797 ; it 
is from the Hon. Douglas Gordon Hallyburton, only 
son of Charles, fourth Earl of Aboyne, by his second 
wife ; the writer, who was then Assistant Quarter- 
Master-General, was bom in 1777, succeeded to the 
estate of his cousin, the Hon. Hamilton Hallyburton 
of Pictur, in 1784, and died on December 25, 1841. 
The letter (the original of which belongs to Mr. Ernest 
Beechey) is as follows : 



*' Sir, — If I had as bad an opinion of your memoi-y as 
probably you have of mine, I should think it necessary 
to recall to your mind by many minute particular, the 
recollections of the person whose name you will find at 
the foot of this letter, and who at his mother's desire 
sat to you, more than eight years ago, I should say 
he was then a young gentleman who had rather out- 
grown himself, and who having just left the University, 
chose to be painted in a black coat and with a book, 
rather than in a red coat and sword, which are now 
more appropriate emblems of the profession he has just 
entered into. If a picture answering to this descrip- 



tiou is still in existence, it can be no other than that of 
Mr, Hallyburton. 

I have always found that the most likely way of 
being excused for any negligence is fairly to confess it 
and not to invent excuses, which cover the fault about 
as much as a vine leaf covers the whole body of one of 
our colossal statues. I shall therefore only say, sir, 
that I accuse myself of great negligence in not having 
very long ago paid the full price of my picture and 
removed it from your house. I think it not unlikely, 
that you may have supposed me to be either dead or 
held in profound sleep, and therefore in some moment 
of exigence, may have betaken youi-self to the canvas of 
the defunct. Perhaps some fair lady occupies the 
place I once held ; who far from neglecting her image 
for eight years, every day beholds herself, as di-awn by 
you, with greater delight than she could receive from 
looking in the glass. Should this be the case, I must 
confess the canvas is better employ 'd than in exhibiting 
one who seldom wishes to see himself but when he 
shaves. If however, my picture is still in existence, I 
beg leave to express to you my regret at having so long 
neglected it, and to say that I hope to be in town in 
three weeks, or a month, and will certainly have the 
pleasure of calling upon you, etc. etc. etc. May I beg 
you will favour me with a few lines in answer to thia, 
and believe me, sir, a real admirer of your works, 
and 

" Your most obedient very humble servant, 

" D. G. Hallyburtok,*" 



CHAPTER III 



1798-1806 

Bkechey's principal picture in the Academy of 1798 was 
one of the chief attractions of the exhibition, and was by 
far not only the most important work which he had 
attempted, but also the most ambitious. It figures as 
No, 178, and is thus catalogued : " His Majesty review- 
ing the Third or Prince of AVales's Regiment of Light 
Dragoons, attended by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, 
H.R.H. the Duke of York, Sir W. Fawcett, General 
and Adjutant-General, and Knight of the Bath, 
Lieutenant-General Dundas, Quarter- Master- General 
and Major-General Goldsworthy, His Majesty's first 
Equerry," Tlie conception of the picture would seem 
to have dated from about 1794. "At this time (1794) 
Mr. Beechey had a cottage at Craven Hill, near 
Bayswater, and was in the habit of passing through 
the park every morning on his way to Great George 
Street. On one of these occasions it happened that 
the King {George the Third) was reviewing the House- 
hold Troops. He was mounted on his favourite white 
horse, Adonis, and was attended by the Duke of York 
and Generals Fawcett, Dundas and Goldsworthy. The 
day was fine, and the exhibition so agreeable to the 





58 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

painter that he remained to witness the evolutions; 
and having made a sketch of the scene, with the 
portraits of the King and the Duke of York in the 
foreground, he took an early opportunity of showing it 
to His Majesty, who was pleased to give him a commis- 
sion to paint a picture in which the figures should be 
represented the size of life. This he accordingly did, 
so much to the satisfaction of his patron that he not 
only paid him liberally for his labour, but confeiTed on 
him the honour of knighthood. . . . This was an 
arduous undertaking, and is, so far a.s we are aware, 
almost the only work of its kind which has been pro- 
duced in England at the time at which it was painted. 
The horses, although Mr- Bcechey had had little prac- 
tice in animal painting, are as faithful and spirited 
portraits as their riders ; every facility for his achieve- 
ment of the task he had undertaken having been 
afforded to him by His Majesty. The picture occupied, 
when exhibited, a large portion of the end of the great 
room of the Academy.'" (Alaric Watts, "The Cabinet 
of Modem Art,'' 1836, pp. 101-102.) 

The picture is on canvas, 13 ft. 8 in. by 16J fL The 
king is in front on a white horse, whose head is turned 
to the left. He is in full regimentals, with a cocked 
hat. Just behind him is the Prince of Wales, in the 
uniform of the 10th, holding up his sword and giving 
the word of command. To the left of the King is the 
Duke of York, with Generals Goldsworthy and Sir 
David Dundas: Sir William Fawcett is standing in 
front of them. The King is turning round to speak to 



1798-1806 



59 



thetn, and points with his right hand to the cavoJry 
charge in the left distance. 

The loth Light Dragoons (now the lOth Hussai-s) 
was fi-equently reviewed by George III. in company 
with the Prince of Wales, who entered the army as 
brevet-colonel, November 19, 1782, and after whom the 
regiment was called " The Prince of Wales's Own " on 
Michaelmas Day, 1783. In 1793 he was appointed 
Colonel -Commandant of the Corpi, and Buci^ccdcd as 
Colonel on July 18, 1796, , . . This picture is regarded 
as Beechey's mastei-piece, and was very much admired 
at the time. But " aithoiTgh a clever and showy group 
of portraits, it has little of real nature ; and is full of 
the painter's artifices. Thus, the King's white horse 
forms the principal light, and comes off the Prince of 
Wales's dark hoi-se, and so on ; the light and shadow of 
all the heads being the light and shadow of the studio, 
and not of the field." (Redgrave, " Century of 
Painters.") The King had several copies taken of it, 
one of which he gave to Lord Sidmouth, the figure of 
the Prince was omitted by the King's desiix', a 
curious proof of his dislike of his son. When the Prince 
became King he hinted that it should be restored, but 
this was evaded. Benjamin Smith engraved the por- 
trait of George III. from this picture. 

Nearly all the newspapers spoke in highly flattering 
terms of the work. One (dated April 18, 1798) says 
that " the grouping of the figures is a strong proof of 
accurate judgment, and the horses are well drawn. The 
likeness of the Duke of York is, however, generally 




I 



60 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

allowed to be imperfect. The painter has thrown a 
pensive and sable cast over the features, that makes the 
countenance of a man ten or fifteen years older than his 
Royal Highness." (T. H. AVard, " Collection of News- 
paper Cuttings,") Another speaks of this " picture of 
immense size, great merit, and a most brilliant effect, 
we were astonished when told by the artist that it was 
completed in two months." (Same collection.) The 
Monthly Mirror (May 1798) always friendly to Beechey, 
says I " This grand picture arrests the primary notice, 
as well on account of its execution, as of the elevated 
characters of the persons represented. The difficulties 
Sir William Beechey has surmounted are scarcely to be 
conceived but by an artist. These are the extraordinary 
magnitude of the work, far beyond anything he had 
ever before had an opportunity of treating. . . . The 
horses exhibit great intelligence, spirit and freedom. 
The evolutions of the cavalry are arranged to the 
advantage of the principal figures. The whole is the 
work of a master, and will be so considered by posterity. 
Of the likenesses every man will judge for himself : for 
my part, I think them excellent" A signed drawing 
for this picture was purchased by the South Kensington 
Museum in 1890 (No. 134). Mr. Ernest A. Beechey 
possesses a sketi'h-book of his great grandfather's with 
a large number of pencil drawings and sketches for this 
work. The original picture was until recently at 
Hampton Court, but has been removed to Kensington 
Palace, and is fiilly described, with a photograph, in 
Sir. Ernest Law's " Royal Gallery of Hampton Court," 



1798-1806 



6i 



1898, p. 354. It was engraved in mezzotint by James 
Ward, April 10, 1800 (25I in- by 23 in.), and of this 
there are seven progress proofs of the first plate, and 
seven of the second in the British Museum Print lloom. 
On February 6, 1811, the same artist-engi'aver issued a 
mezzotint portrait of the King, whole length, directed 
to right, looking to front, mounted on his favourite 
charger Adonis. " This picture would be correctly 
described as copied from Beechey ; on the seventh pro- 
gress proof in the British Museum the engraver has 
written: ' The Horse painted from Adonis the King's 
charger by James Ward. I'he figure copied out of the 
Review picture by Hopkins. The whole painted over 
and finished by Mr. Ward, and now in possession of 
Lord Somerville,' " (Mrs, Frankau's "James and 
William Ward," pp. 97-8.) 

So far as we have discovered, only one of the many 
replicas has come into the open market. This, a sketch 
only, was presented to General Sir R. Doiikin by the 
Duke of York, and was lot 108 at Christie's on July 30, 
1895, when it realised 90 guineas. Mr. Herbert Jack- 
son possesses a replica on a small scale (about the sixe 
of the engraving), which, it is believed, Sir William 
Beechey painted ; this may be identical with the 
" small copy " of this picture which the artist sold to 
Mr. T. Bernard in 181 1 for 50 guineas. Soon after 
the Academy was opened, the King conferred (May 9) 
on Beechey the honour of Knighthood — "at the express 
intimation of the Queen, a mark of favour well-merited 
by the artist, and creditable to the discernment of Her 



6i SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

Majesty " (Monlkb/ Mirror, May 1798, p. 282), and 
this was the first instance of such an honour being 
conferred on an artist since Sir Joshua Reynold-i's time. 
During the same year also he was elected a Royal 
Academician, filling the vacancy caused by the death 
of William Hodges. 

The King''s dislike to his eldest son is too well known 
to be dwelt upon here ; the presence of the Prince in 
this great picture is accounted for in the following 
manner. When the work was nearly finished, the 
Queen came into the studio and the artist said to her : 
•* Now what I bhould like to do, and what would be the 
making of the picture would be to put the Prince of 
Wales on his black horse behind His Majesty's white 
one, but I should never dare to do it." So the Queen 
said "Oh, do, just dash it in for rae to see," Sir 
William said it was as much as his life was worth to do 
it, but Her Majesty exclaimed, " Never mind, I will be 
responsible,'" anil so it was done. Soon afterwards the 
King came in with his cheery greeting of " Well, 
Beechey, how are you — ? What, what, what ! What's 
tliat Beechey ? Nonsense, I won't have it ! " And ere 
he could make a reply the Queen said it was her doing, 
but he was very wroth and ordered it to be stripped off 
the frame and burnt ; of coui^e the artist obeyed, and 
thought it was sent away to be burnt, but the Courtier 
who took it kept it, and two yeai^ after wheo the King 
was reconciled to his sou he asked where the picture 
was, " Uidn't you finish it Beechey ? " and when he was 
reminded of the incident he could not recollect it at 



1 



1798-180^ 



03 

all ; the gentleman who kept the picture then produced 
it and it was finished with the Prince in it. How 
far or to what extent these stories {derived from 
family records) are true or otherwise, it is now 
impossible to state, bnt there is a most significant 
entry in Beechey's Account-Book under date 
September 2, 1817 : " Of the Prince Regent from the 
Lord Chamberlain's office for altering the large picture 
of His Majesty on horseback, ;£i05," and the only 
alteration which this sum would suggest is the addition 
to the picture of the portrait of the Prince of Wales 
himself. 

Sir William used of^en to sleep at the palace and the 
King, an early riser, would come into his bedroom 
before he was up and say, " What, still in bed Beechey ? 
Lazy fellow, get up and come out." One day he went 
into the studio and saw he had put a tree with autumn 
tints in the background of the picture of a lady he 
was painting, and said, " Hullo Beechey, red trees, red 
trees! No such thing as red trees, don't believe it,'' 
So nest morning Sir William got up early and cut a 
bough with very red leaves and hung it on the easel 
before His Majesty came in ; when he did come in 
he stared at it, and then said " Humph, painted by 
God, eh ? Bad courtier Beechey, take it out," and of 
course he did. His object in painting a red back- 
ground was that he might put more colour in the flesh 
tints, and he used to declare that there was so much 
colour under the surface that his pictures would 
outlast those of any painter of his day. 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



In addition to this great picture, Beechey was also 
represented at the Academy of 1798 by three portraits 
and agroup. Lady Cawdor, No. i6g, was Lady Caro- 
line Howard, eldest daughter of the fifth Earl of 
Carlisle, and wife (she married on July 27, 1789, and 
died in 1848) of John Campbell who was created Lord 
Cawdor in June 1796 : perhaps the Lady Caroline 
Campbell of the 1795 Academy is identical with the 
Lady Cawdor of 1798. Mr. John Trotler {1757- 
1833), whose portrait was, "in point of force and 
nature,entitled to rank very high" ("Public Characters," 
p. 355), and by another writer pronounced "the most 
scientific portrait of the day, and nearly concentrates 
the very perfection of the art," was one of several 
remarkable sons of Archibald Trotter of The Bush, 
Castlelaw, Scotland ; he ciime up to London and obtained 
a post in a Government office where his great adminis- 
trative capacity speedily procured his promotion " inas- 
much that he became at last almost the sole and 
recognised director of a branch of the revenue, of vast 
extent and vital importance^; while having the direc- 
tion of the National Stores, and the contracts for many 
supplies, he had found it necessary to purchase, build, 
and give a wide extent to premises adjoining his residence 
in Soho Square and spread into adjacent streets. When 
the Government department was formed, these spacious 
premises fell back into his hands, and his enterprise led 
him to build in 1815, what was afterwards known as 
the Soho Bazaar, which for long remained one of the 
sights of London. He purchased Dyrham Park, Herts. 




1 798-1806 



65 



His elder brother Alexander, was a Navy Office 
reformer whose enterprise involved his chief, Lord 
Melville, in trouble ; and his younger brother, Coutta 
Trotter, was created a baronet on July 21, 1821. An 
interesting personal account of the Trotters is given 
in Jerdaii's "Men I Have Known," 1886 (pp. 421- 
430)- 

The Mrs. Ed. I-ong, No. 234, was Mary, daughter of 
John Tonilinson, Esq., M.P. for Steyning, and wife of 
Edward Beeston Long, of Hampton ; of her husband, 
also, Beechey painted a portrait of which an " un- 
finished " example was lot 65 in the Beechey sale at 
Christie's on June 11, 1836, when it realised only £;i ; 
it may have been only a replica of a finished portrait. 
The writer of the obituary notice in the GentlemaiCs 
Magasme (A'pnX 1839), refers to "one of the beat of 
Sir William's works" aa being in the possession of 
Edward Beeston Long's son, "Henry L. Long, Esq., of 
Hampton Lodge, Surrey; the subject is the Infant 
Hercules, Sir William often spoke of it as his favourite 
picture. Mr. Long, then a child of about two years of 
age, is painted as the young Hercules, while his elder 
brother, Edward Noel Long (afterwards of the Cold- 
stream Guards, and lost on his passage to Spain in 
1809), is represented as robing him in the lion's skin. 
This picture was afterwards, with the substitution of a 
cro88 for the club, copied by Sir William for his picture 
of St. John the Baptist." The portraits of Mr. 
Wedderbnrn's children, of which a photographic repro- 
duction may be seen in Mr. A. Wedderbum's " The 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

Wedderbum Book," 1899, ^^J *'*'* ^ mentioned, 
The Academy of this year was Beechey's greatest 
popular, if not artistic, triumph. During this year his 
portrait of H.H.H. the Prince of Wales was deposited 
in the Council Room of the Royal Academy on his 
electioD. 

Beecheyhad no royal portraits in the 1799 Academy, 
but he had a picture, which curiously enough, brought 
him into rivalry with Lawrence, who, in 1798, exhibited 
his portrait of Kemble as Coriolanus at the hearth of 
Tullius Ansidius, which, in spite of its merits, " was 
never very much admired by the profession." Beechey's 
nine portraits of 1799 included one of Mr. Kemble, but 
not in character; it shows the great actor nearly full 
face, in dark velvet coat and shirt ruffles, hands cn>ssed 
on a book, which rests on a table — this strong portrait 
is in the Dulwich College Gallery ; another vei-sion of it 
is at the Garrick Club. This was followed in the next 
year's Academy by another picture by Lawrence, of 
Kemble as Holla, and, in 1801, by the portrait of 
Kemble as Hamlet, now in the National Gallery, both 
engraved by S. W. Reynolds, Beechey's portrait of 
Kemble was a commission from Desenfans, and is in 
other respects interesting, as may be gathered from the 
following letter: 

Chaiuottk Sik««t, Tkuridny norniHg. 
" Dear Sik, — Some of your Brother artists will 
probably wish you joy with their tips only, and I wish 
you joy with all my heart, nay, my own vanity u 




M^ 



1798-1806 



6? 



gratified on this occasioo, as I have always been partial 
to your performances. Indeed by confemng the honor 
of knighthood on you the king has honor'd himself as 
much as he has done you. Since I have shown my 
pictures to His Majesty, I have entertain'd the highest 
opinion of his taste from the remarks I heard him 
make. I am happy that he has now giv'n at once a 
fresh proof of his knowledge, and a fresh encouragement 
to the arts. 

" I hope as soon as you are at leisure you will go on 
with [the] Kemble portrait, so that I may have to 
boast I possess the Jirat picture of Sir William 
Beechey. 

" Believe me, with great and sincere attachment, 
" Dear Sir, Your humble obedient servant, 
" Noel Desf.xfans." 



Two of the Beechey exhibits of 1799 might rank as 
fancy portraits, Miss Lusbington being represented as a 
Bacchante (" painted with uncommon spirit and great 
science"); and the celebrated "Anastasius" Hope in 
Turkish dress. There were also portraits of Mrs. 
Gooch — a lady of this name was residing, according to 
Boyle, at 20 Michael's Place, Brompton, in this year ; 
the Marquess Comwallis, a whole length in Robes of 
the Garter, engraved in meznotint by James Ward, in 
the year of its appearance at the Academy ; Sir William 
Young, doubtless a companion to the whole length of 
Lady Young of 1796; and Mr. Boulton, of Soho, 
Stafibrdshire, the eminent engineer, inventor and 



A-.-e-ieiu- itrtn. 




1798-1806 



69 



'ITiere were two othei' portraits in the Academy of 
1799. One of Lady Carbery, who was Susaii, daughter 
and sole heir of Colonel Henry Watson — chief engineer 
in JBengal — and wife of George, fourth Lord Carbery, 
whom she married on August 13, 1792 ; after his death 
in 1804, Lady Carbery married Mr. George Freke Evans 
of Bulgaden Hall, and died in 1838. The second of 
these two portraits was of a " Mr. Browne." In this 
year's Academy Henry Bone exhibited his copy on 
enamel of Beechey's portrait of tlie Queen. 

The rivalry of the four great portrait-painters of the 
day — Lawrence, Hoppner, Beechey and Opie — was 
perhaps never so manifest as at the Academv of 1799. 
All four had very nearly reached their highest level, and 
it was a question, not so much as to which would advance 
as to whether they would maintain their respective 
positions. With the exception of Opie, all were power- 
fully supported by one section or other of the Royal 
Family, and all were in the enjoyment of the patronage 
of " the rank and fashion." Other men were slowly 
making headway, Martin R. Shee, William Owen, and 
Raeburn more especially ; the most powerful rival of all, 
George Romney, had returned to his house in the North 
of England, a physical and mental wreck, after nearly 
forty years of incessant application, and an unrivalled 
populai-ity which existed for nearly a quarter of a 
century, entirely unaided by the "advertisement" of 
the Royal Academy. 

Beethey's eight portraits of 1800 included two of 
royal personages, the King and H.R.H. the Duchess of 




I798-IS06 

ITie portrait of the Duchess of York, No. 68, is a 
three-quarter figure portrait of much artistic charm ; it 
shows her seated in a white dress ornamented with gold, 
and with a three-row gold necklace, she holds a letter in 
her left hand, whilst others lie on a table to her left 
(canvas 35 in. by 27 in.); this portrait was presented 
by Her Royal Highness to Mrs. Gwyn, and was lent to 
the South Kensington Portrait Exhibition in 1868 by 
Mr. K. Gwyn ; it was successively in the Gwyn, James 
Price and Sir Julian Goldsmid's sales at Christie'^, in 
1889, 1895, and 1896, realising 75 guineas, 1 200 guineas 
and 1400 guineas respectively. This is, presumably, 
the portrait by Beechey of the Princess engraved by 
M. A- Bourlier, for La Belle AasembUe of September 
1806 ; but a slightly different porti-ait of her, looking to 
left, with a four-row pearl necklace, with high pleated 
collar, was engraved at about the same time by Scriven. 
Beechey's only other portrait of a " Pei-son of Quality " 
in this Exhibition was that of Lord Carnarvon, whose 
brother, Charles Herbert, was, as we have seen, an early 
patron of the artist. Still more interesting was No. 179, 
Lady Beechey. The writer of the sketch of Beechey in 
" Public Characters, 1800-1801," says : " A portrait of 
Lady Beechey, with the youngest of eight children in 
lier arms, we cannot omit noticing, aa a strong example 

of Lord Norlhwick). and his portrait of Mrs. Robinson (now in 
possessioD of the writer of this aotice), were so highly approved by 
Sir Joshua Reynolds that when he saw them by the aide of the 
originals, he declared that he had a great difficalty in recognisiog 
his own works."— Alaric A. Walts, " Cabinet of Modern Art," 
pp. 103-103. 





r 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

of the manner which an artist succeeds when he paints 
con UTiiore ; in point of drawing, resemblance, colouring 
and character it is a chefd'oeuvre. If it came into our 
plan to enumerate this lady's performances in miniature 
(for she also is an artist, and a good one) many admir- 
able little pictures might be added to this list." This 
pictui'e was generally praised, one newspaper said that 
" the appearance of nature is ably represented in the 
child, and there is a pleasing espression of parental 
tenderness in the mother." Says the writer in the 
frequently- quoted notice in the Monthly Mirror : " he 
has been married several yeai-s to Lady Beechey, his 
second wife, an amiable and accomplished woman, who 
is herself an artist of very superior ability. They have 
been blessed with eight children, of whom the eldest is 
now only nine years of age." Becchev's other exhibits 
in iSoo included Mrs. Hill and child : Captain Foley, 
probably a relative of the Mr. Foley of 1795; Mrs. 
Greenwood, perhaps the wife of the Mr. Greenwood of 
the 1792 Academy ; and Master Gosling, the first of a 
number of members of this family to sit to Beechey ; 
the other Gosling portraits will be found in the Account 
Books of 1817, 1830, and 1823. 

A portrait of considerable interest was painted in 1800 
by Beechey, viz., that of Nelson's father, the Rev. 
Edmund Nelson (1722-1802), a bust full face, in black 
gown (canvas 30 by 25), now the property of Earl 
Nelson; a copy of it is in the Combination Roomi 
Caius and Gonnlle College, Cambridge, of which 
CoU^e Nelson's father was a Fellow and of which also 



1798-1806 




Beechey's son and grandson were alumni. The story of 
the portrait {which was lent to the Exhibition at South 
Kensington in 1868) is told in the following letter, 
dated March 4, 1800, from I^dy Nelson to her 
husband: "I think yoii will be surprised when I tell 
you our good father is sitting for his picture. Sir W. 
Beechey is the fortunate man. You must know it is a 
profound secret. I went to Sir W. B, to ask his price, 
look at his pictures, and then inquire whether he would 
go to an invalid ? The answer, ' No,' puzzled me : 
however 1 said, ' Sometimes general rules were broken 
through.' Sir W., finding I was rather anxious about 
this picture, said that really he never went to any 
person excepting the King and Royal Family. The 
Duke and Duchess of York had that instant left the 
house. I knew that. ' But, madam, may I ask who is 
the gentleman ? " ' Yes, sir : my Lord Nelson's father.' 
' My God, I would go to York to do it ! Yes, madam, 
directly.' He was as good as his word, and has been 
here twice. I think the likeness will be an exceeding 
good one. I don't know whether the picture is for you 
or me. . . . The picture is for you, so I hear this 
morning " (Nicolas's " Despatches and Letters of Lord 
Nelson," iv. 514). 

The first of the 1801 portraits was No. 79, H.R.H. 
the Duke of York. This was doubtless the whole 
length of the Duke presented to the Royal Military 
Hospital, Chelsea, iu 1807, by Mr. Charles Greenwood, 
and lent to the Military Exhibition in 1890, No. 691, 
by permission of Lieut.-Col. Fitzgerald. The Duke, 



74 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



who was popularly known as " The Soldier's Friend," 
was first President of this Hospital ; he was the second 
son of George III., was born in 1763 and died in 1827. 
A coloured engraving, which shows a half figure, in 
blue uniform with Order of the Garter, directed to 
front and looking to left, was done by Maria A. Bourlier 
for E, Harding's collection of " Portraits of the whole 
of the Hoyal Family," May 19, 1806. A portrait of 
the Duke (canvas 51 in. by 61J in.) was presented in 
1895 by Mr. T. J. Blakeslee to the Metropolitan 
Museum of New York. Another portrait of the Duke 
of York was exhibited at the Academy of 1812, and 
will be referred to in due course. A second royal 
personage was No. 144, H.B.H. Prince Augustus (after- 
wards Duke of Sussex), probably the portrait engraved 
by M. A. Bourlier for Harding's above-mentioned 
" Portraits," and lot 80 in the Duke of Cambridge's 
sale at Christie's, June 11, 1904, when it was purchased 
for 38 guineas by an American dealer. But tlie 
most important picture of the year was No. 125, 
Lord Nelson. This portrait was painted at the 
request of the Corporation of the City of Norwich 
for St. Andrew's Hall in that city. It is a whole 
length, and represents him standing on deck, 
directed to front, facing and looking towards right, in 
uniform with stars and orders, left hand on swoixl. 
This is the parent of a large nuinbei- of replicas by 
Beechey himself, and of copies by others, whilst to 
enumerate all the engravings which have been done 
from it would f&i- exceed the litnita of this work. 



c 



I798-I806 



75 



General W. E. G. Bulwer, of Heydoo Hall, near 
Norwich, possesses the original finished sketch in oils 
(canvas lyt by 15^) of the head and shoulders of this 
great picture ; this sketch is of very fine quality, full 
of vigour and hfe. The earliest engraving was in 
mezzotint by Edward Bell, published on May i, 1805, 
and dedicated to the Corporation of Norwich " by their 
much obliged fellow citizen and humble servant, 
Jeremiah Freeman." A smaller picture, three-quarter 
figure, in naval uniform, breast covered with decora- 
tions, right sleeve fastened across, left hand on sword, 
was presented to the Corporation of the City of London 
by Alderman John Boydell, and was engraved by 
Richard Earlom in January 1806. The Earl of 
St. \'incent's version was engi-aved by R. Cooper for 
C'adell and Davies's series of portraits in 1815, and the 
Duke of Wellington's was, still later on, engraved by 
Thomas Hodgetts, May 1840. A portrait "which 
belonged to the widow of Nelson's coxswain, who gave 
it to the exhibitor shortly before her death in St. Paul's, 
Bermondsey," was lent to the Naval and Military 
Exhibition, Edinburgh, 1889, No, 176, by the Rev. S. 
M. Mayhew. Others have occurred for sale at Christie's 
from time to time, and it would not be difficult to 
swell the list. Beechey, according to A. A. Watts, 
"had the gratification of numbering" Lord Nelson 
" among his friends," " His lordship stood godfather 
to one of Sir William's childi-en, and at his particular 
request presented him with the hat he wore at the 
Battle of the Nile. He parted with it, he said, as ao 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

old and tried friend, for he had worn it in many 
battles " {" Cabinet of Modem Art," p. 102) ; this 
hat, with other relics, is still preserved in the Beecher 
family. 

The two " ladies of quality " represented in the 
1801 Academy were: Lady Georgiana Bathurst as 
"Adoration," a work engraved by Caroline Watson; 
and the Viscountess Folkestone, Lady Catherine, only 
daughter of Henry, Earl of Lincoln, and first wife of 
Viscount Folkestone, Earl of Radnor, to whom she was 
married October 2, 1801 (she died May 17, 1804), A 
copy by S. Woodforde of this portrait was sold at 
Christie's on May 4, 1901 ; the original picture is at 
Radnor Castle, and is here reproduced by the courteous 
permission of the Earl of Radnor, but tbe illustration 
gives little idea of its brilliant colouring- The exhi- 
bition also included " Rebecca ; a Portrait," which a 
writer in the Monthly Mirror describes as " in the 
style of the Florentine school " ; a " Portrait of a Lady," 
whose name has not been revealed, and one of a little 
girl, Miss Home, "dressing herself." In 1801 Beechey 
was a witness in the famous law case of Delatre v, 
Copley. When Copley finished his great picture of 
The Death of Ckathamy he placed it in the hands of 
Bartolozzi, who undei-took to engrave it for 2000 
guineas. Bartolozzi contracted with the defendant to 
publish another engraving of the same, half the size, 
for which he was to give him ;£8oo. After working 
three years on it, Delatre finished it and sent a proof to 
Copley, who, however, was dissatisfied, and refused to 



I 798-1806 



77 



pay the balance of ^^650, ,£150 having been paid 
during the course of the work. DartoJozzi spoke in 
favour of the engraving, and was sharply examined by 
Ei-skine ; Beechey, Opie, Hoppner, Cosway and West 
pronounced the engraving extremely ill-executed, but 
the plaintiff obtained a verdict, with £650 damages, 

Beechey managed to have two portraits of royal 
personages included among his eight exhibits of 1802 ; 
these were the Duke of Cumberland and Princess 
Augusta. That of the former, a half-length in the 
uniform of the Hussars, resting both hands on hiii 
sword, was engraved by Fogg for Hai-ding's " Porti-aits 
of the whole of the Royal Family," 1806, and was 
included in the Duke of Cambridge's sale, June 11, 
1904, when it realised 270 guineas ; a replica by 
Beechey himself was lent by Lord Talbot de Malahidc 
to the South Kensington Exhibition in 1868. The 
portrait of Princess Augusta is probably that which 
was engraved by Geremia for Harding's " Portraits," 
and represents her in a brown dress lined with blue, 
muslin kerchief round her hair, seated before a spinning- 
wheel ; this was in the Cambiidge sale, 1904, lot 74, 
when it realised 80 guineas ; the same sale included 
three portraits of this Princess, a second, lot 79, showing 
her in white mustin dress, blue sash, and blue ribbon in 
her hair, and this realised 80 guineas. The most 
important of these three portraits will be referred to in 
dealing with the Beechey exhibits of 1819, whilst a 
fourth portrait of her, at Buckingham Palace, has 
already been described (p. 53). The 1801 portrait 



78 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

of Nelson was followed, appropriately enough, in 1802, 
with one of Sir William Hamilton, the husband of 
Emma, Lady Hamilton, whose name is so indissolubly 
associated with that of Nelson. This portrait of 
Sir William Hamilton, who died just twelve months 
after its exhibition, has disappeai-ed. The portrait of 
Mr. Watt, of Soho, Staffordshire, No. loi, represents 
the famous James Watt" (1736-1819), the eminent 
engineer, and partner of Matthew Boulton, whose 
portrait was in the 1799 Exhibition; this portrait 
was painted on Watt's retirement from the business, 
in which he had successfully effected a transform- 
ation of the method of locomotion, and represents 
him a grey-haired elderly man, in dark coat and 
white stock, directed to front, full face. It has fre- 
quently been engi'aved : by Thomson for the European 
Magazitit, 1820 ; by G. C. Picart, for "The British 
Gallery of Contemporary Portraits " ; by C. E. Wag- 
stafiF, for Knight's " Gallery of Portraits," 1833-7^ 
when it was in the possession of J. Watt, of Aston 
Hall, Binningham ; and by HinchclifFe, for Beckmann'a 
"Inventions." Another interesting portrait of this 
year was No. 274, Mr. iVatts. This was Daiid Pike 
Watts, of Portland Place, London ; and this portrait, 
with other things, passed into the possession of Jesse 

* This great man, to quote Lord Brougham's words, by " direct- 
ing the force of an orlgioal genias. early exerciied in philoiophical 
research, lo Ibe improvemeat al the steam-eogine, enlarged the 
resources of his country, increased the power ol man, and rose to an 
emieeol place among ihe most illustrious followers of science, and 
ttu real bCDefacton of the world." 



«-i8o6 



79 



Watts Russell, of Ham Hall, Staffordshire (it forms 
No. 24 in the 1827 catalogue of that collection), whose 
choice gallery of pictures was dispersed at Christie's in 
July 1875, when a splendid landscape by Gainsborough 
was secured for the National Gallery. Jes-se Russell 
married, as his first wife, Mary, only child and heir of 
David Pike Watts, and assumed the surname of Watts 
in March 1817, presumably on the death of his father- 
in-law. There was evidently a more than business 
intimacy between David Pike Watis and the artist, 
who apparently was at one time his patron's guest. In 
the Jesse Watts-Hussell sale, July 3, 1875, there were 
four pictures by Sir William Beechey, all presented by 
the artist (lot* 2-5)1 View from the Houxe of David 
Pike iVatts, Efq., St. Jameifs, Dover, dated r8o2 ; 
Beggars at a Cottage Door; St. RadiguncTi Abbey, 
Dover; and the companion picture. The last two 
pictures, also painted in 1802, were again sold, together, 
at Christie's, on May 6, 1905, when they realised 
20 guineas. The Academy of 1802 also included a 
portrait of Mrs. Skottowe, and a group of I^ady Temple 
and her son Lord Cobham. Lady Temple was after- 
wards Duchess of Buckingham, and her son (bom 1776) 
succeeded his father in 1813 as second Marquess of 
Buckingham: he became Duke of Buckingham and 
Chandos in 1822. When the art collections of the 
family were dispersed, this picture was amongst them, 
forming lot 115, in the sale at Avington House, near 
Winchester, in 1848. The Stowe Catalogue of 1838 
(p. 50) includes a Beechey portrait of thiti the second 



k 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

Marquess and first Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, 
but it was not included in the famous sale held at 
Stowe in 1848. 

Beechey had only five portraits in the 1 803 Academy; 
and one of these, No. 1 29, was of the Princess Sophia of 
Gloucester, eldest daughter of the first duke ; the en- 
graving of Scriven in La Belle AssembUe of November 
1808, ia of the head and shoulders only ; she is wearing 
a white low dress, arms bare, three-row pearl necklace, 
and with white head-dress, the ends of which fall over 
her right side, right hand resting against her face. 
Another portrait of her, in white muslin dress, a pearl 
necklace, and pearl ornaments in her hair, was in the 
Duke of Cambridge sale of June 1904 (30 in. by 25 in.), 
lot 76, when it realised only 55 guineas ; and yet 
another, half-length, life size, in brown dress and up- 
right lace collar, gold necklace (30 in. by 24 in.), was 
lent by the Earl Waldegrave to the Exhibition of 
Portraits of the Monarcha of Great Britain at the New- 
Gallery in 1901-2. A second portrait of this year was 
that of Charles, Earl of Rmanet/ (No. 55), a whole 
length, standing, looking to front, right hand 00 paper 
on table to left, sword in left hand 1 this was engraved 
in mezzotint by Valentine Green, October 15, 1803. 
Either the original portrait or a replica of it is now at 
Petworth,* Lord Lecoufield's seat ; another version was 
engraved as a book-illustration early in the nineteenth 

* " AmoDg the kindest and roost liberal patrons of Sir William 
Beechey il would be an injastice 10 both parties doi to mentioa the 
name of the Earl of Bgrerooni ; indoed, it would be difficult la 



^ «» 



l8-i8o6 



Si 



century by W. Bromley, " from the original painting 
. . . in the possession of the Marine Society," a 
head and shoulders only, in robes. Miss Halton 
figured as No. ii ; Sir W. Staines,* No. 65, was an 
eminent city magnate, knighted on October 26, 1796, 
the year before he served as sheriff (he was elected 
alderman in 1793); in 1801 he became L^rd Mayor, 
and died at Clapham on September 11, 1807 ; he was a 
stone- merchant of Milbank Street. A group of Mi-s, 
Symonds and Family formed No. 117, — "In the family 
group of Beechey," says one of the newspapers, " there 
is truth of design and force of colouring. It is placed 
in the centre of the great room, and is one of his best 

point out any man of worth and genius who haa made the fine arts 
his profession, who has not received more or less encourage men I 
at his hands "' (■' Cabinet of Modern Art," p. J03), The Earl of 
Romney, mealiooed above, married Frances, daughter of Charles, 
Earl of Egremont {and sister of George, Earl of Egremont, tbe art- 
patron mentioned by Ihe writer of the above quoted notice in the 
"Cabinet of Modern Art"); and the other pictures by Beechey 
purchased by the Eari were Vaiui and Cupid, Mrs. Hasler as Flora, 
Lady Burrell as Hebe, a second portrait of Lady Burrel], and 
Charlotte Tredcrnft, Lady King, dated tS2o, 

■ " When Mr. Nollekens once had occasion to visit Ihe church of 
St. Giles, Cripplegate, he asked me to walk with him '. and as we 
entered Jewin Street, we met Sir William Staines, who informed 
him of his having been chosen Mayor, and that he should send him 
a ticket for the civic dinner. Nollekens : ' Dinner ! Bless your 
heart. I'd rather dine at home ; you citizens make such anoise, and 
I get my clothes spoiled ' . . . Slaines ; ' Have you bought any 
stone lately? I have some very close Yorkshire," Nollekens: 
'■No, 1 don't want any.' Siames : ■Well, then, you won't djae 
on my day? ' Nollekens ; ' No, but I suppose my friends Sir William 
Beechey and Sir Francis Bourgeois will be there.' — J.T.Smith, 
■■ Nollekens and His Times," vol, i, pp. 349-jo. 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

works ; " birt, nothing is so far known of either Afra 
Symondi or of Miss HaJton. 

Only one of Ueechey's 1804 Academy pictures-^ 
xercninnnmber — ha« been identified ; and this. No 4.16 
Mr. HeaviMde, does not appear to have been a sood 
portrait. John Hc-aviaide (1748-182S), lus tomt 
addrMA wat 14 George Street, Hanover Sqaore a f 
doors from Itecrhe/s old residence at No. 8, wi[a ^ dia 
tinf[ui«hed snrgcon of Gcddons. Herts, and thia 
portrait wa» ei)(jraved in mezzotint by W, Say, half 
length, in plain roat. bnttoned, looking to frnnt, in 
July 1803 : and it "-as aj^in engraved by J. Cot-hrane 
for Jerdan's "Portrait Gallery," 1830-4 (vol. ii.) ■ a_ 
enamel of it waa exhibited by H. Bone in the 1806 
Academy, No. 765. A writer in one of the newspapers 
(Colnaghi, "Collet-tion of Newspaper Cuttings ") dccJares 
it to be " by no means a good or faithliii likenea of 
the worthy original. This, among other instances 
proves that a painter may gain, perhaps deservedly 
great reputation without tlie wise intention of pi^ 
serving it by great care and assiduity." 

Both Hebe and Piiyche were subjects which fre- 
quently attracted Becdiey, and one each of his many 
versioni of the two appeared at the Academy now 
under notice. Without exhausting the subjeet, it will 
be necessary here to enter wmewhat fully on his versions 
of both. Hflif figured first as No. 6. There can be 
no reasonable doubt that the earliest of this numerous 
family wm the small picture painted on panel 
(30! in. by 24i in.) in 1S03 for Charles Small Pybua;" 
* Pfbtu wu s barrlBrar, M.P. for E)over, and ooe of tba 



I 798-1806 



83 



this is a charming picture of no ordinary artist's model ; 
a half figure in low classical dress, directed to left, and 
looking at the spectator three-quarter face, the left arm 
is bare, with jewelled armlet above the elbow, hair 
falling in curls over forehead and neck and bound with 
a jewelled band. She is holding with both hands a 
tray, on which is resting a vase. This picture realised 
500 guineas at Christie's on May 8, 1897, lot 80, and 
an illustration of it is given in this book. It is highly 
probable that this is another version of the Petworth 
picture of Lady Buvrell (P'rances, daughter of George, 
Earl of Egremont, married May 8, 1808, Sir Charles 
M, Burrell, M.P., and died September 28, 1848); a 
presumption greatly strengthened by Watts's statement 
that the portrait of "his lordship's' daughter " (I^ady 
Burrell) was "beautifully copied in enamel by Bone, who 
represents her as Hebe"; in 1806 H. Bone exhibited at 
the Royal Academy, No. 706, an enamel of Hebe 
after Sir W, Beechey. A much later picture, and not 
nearly so fine, signed with monogram and dated 1823, 
was in the Massey -Main waring sale at Kobinson smd 
Fisher's, June 10, 1898 ; it is said to represent the 
artist's second daughter, Charlotte Earle, who married 
on July 26, 1825, the third Lord Grantley (she died 
on May l, 1878) : this is also a half-figure portrait, 
and shows her in white low classical dress, with a gold 
and ruby armlet and bracelet, facing front, and looking 
to right ; the dress is suspended over the left shoulder 

Commissioners for the office of Lord High Admiral from 1791 lo 
1793. Beechey's portrait of him (79I in. by 14 in.) is now in the 
Dulnicb College Gallery. 



84 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

by a blue ribbon, a wreath of roses and other flowers in 
her hair, her right band about to remove the cover 
from a gold drinking cup (canvas, 24J in. by agin.); 
this picture was purchtised for 125 guineas by M. 
Sedelmeyer, of Paris, in whose sixth series of 
"Painting by Old Masters," 1900, it is illustrated. 
Another portrait of Lady Grantley at Hebe was sold 
at Christie's on March 22, 1900, lot 113, 168 guineas ; 
and one oi Lady Beeckey as Hebe (from " the Beechey 
Family ") figured as lot 1 20 at Kobinson and Fisher's, 
May 21, 1903. There can be no possible doubt that 
Charlotte Beechey sat to her father for a fancy picture 
of Hebe, for the present Lord Grantley possesses 
among nine pictures by Beechey one of his daughter 
Charlotte, who became Lady Grantley, in this character. 
Another Hebe was lot 63 at Christie's, February 10, 
1899. Two pictures on a very large scale were ex- 
hibited at the British Institution — (1) in 1810, No. 43, 
Hebejeeding the Eagle of Jupiter, 72 in. by 60 in., and 
(2) in 1816, with an identical title, but much larger in 
size, viz., 133 in. by 78 in. In the interval another 
Hebe was No. 30, at the Royal Academy of 1814, 

The Psyche of 1804, No. 15, is also the first of many 
versions, — a writer in the Monthly Mirror, it may be 
pointed out, declared it to be " too great an imitation 
of the colouring of Baroccio." It was engraved, ap- 
parently before it was exhibited, in stipple, by Caroline 
Watson (6 in. by 5 in.), on January 2, 1804, for Marsh 
and Dumford, and again later on by Greathead 
(2} in. by 2{ in.). Other Ptyches appeared at the 



1798-1806 85 

British Institution, 1806, No. 50, 1824, No. 228 
(39iii, by 34in.), and 1827, No. 2 (74in. by 60 in.), 
But one of the moat charming of all was the work of 
the artist's later life, and was at the Academy of 1830, 
No. 40, with the title Psyche Returning from the Realms 
of Pluto, and the legend " Elle remonte enfin des enfers 
beaucoup plus gaie quelle n'y etoit allfe ; " this is a 
whole-length figure in classical dress, with loose robes 
flowing behind back and waist ; she is barefooted and 
is running to right, holding in both hands the Box of 
Beauty. This was engraved by L. Stocks (sjin. by 3^in.) 
for Alaric Watts's "Cabinet of Modem Art," 1836 (the 
plate is dated November, 1835), when the picture was 
the property of Watts. " The picture which accom- 
panies the present sketch, one of the most graceful 
compositions of the painter, was executed in 1829 from 
the well-known passages in the ' Golden Ass of 
Apuleius.'' It represents the return of Psyche to earth 
with the Box of Beauty. The idea of the head was 
suggested by a daughter of Colonel George Wyndham 
during one of Sir William's visits to Petworth " 
("Cabinet of Modern Art.'" pp. 104-5). 

Of the four other pictures which figured in the 1804 
Academy, A Lady and her Children, No. 22 ; J Lady, 
No. 65 ; A Gentkman, No. 74 ^ and A Child Picking 
up Shelh by the Seaside, No. 11 1, nothing is so far 
known. In the Academy of the following year, 1805, 
he had seven exhibits, only one of which. An Officer m 
the Volunteers, No. 256, remains unidentified. The 
Biaht^ of Chester, fio. 1 28, was Henry William Majendie 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

{1754-1830), who was appointed to Chester in 1800 
and translated to Bangor in 1809; this portrait re- 
presents him standing, in full bishop's robes, holding a 
" mortar-board " hat in left hand ; it was engraved in 
mezzotint by Charles Turner in 1824. Another dis- 
tinguished personage of this yeai- was James, first 
Marquess of Salisbury (1748-1823), whose portrait, 
No. 171, was a whole-length, life size, and shows him 
ill the robes of the Garter, the George suspended from 
his collar, with horse galloping to right ; and the por- 
trait (now at Lord Salisbury's town residence, 20 
Arlington Street) was engraved in mezzotint by W, 
Say, in 1803, and in stipple by E. Scriven for Le Beau 
Monde, April 1, 1808; it was lent to the South 
Kensington Exhibition, 1867, No. 859. Mrs. Spicer 
was No. 162. jWms Mellon in " The Hotteymomi " was 
No. 178, which, fi-om the price paid, viz., 120 guineas, 
must have been a whole-length. The Honeymoon was 
a comedy by Tobin, suggested by Shakespeare's Taming 
of the Shrewy and of it three lines are worth quoting : 

" The msn that lays his hand upon a woman. 
Save in the way of kindness, is a wretch 
Whom 'twere base flatteij to call a coward." 

The play was first produced on January 31, 1805: 
Miss Mellon ( 1 775-1 837), the beautiful actress who had 
been chased from her home by a virago of a mother, 
and was acting at thirty shillings a week, became 
successively the wife (in 1815) of Thomas Coutts, the 
banker, and (in 1827) of the ninth Duke of St. Albans, 



^ 




1 798-1806 



87 



In The Honeymoon she scored a triumph as Volante, 
one of the three daughters of Balthazar. This early 
portrait of her in character, when she was the "youthful, 
slim, and beautiful creature" described in the " Life 
of Charles Mathews," was one of Beechey's great 
popular successes. "A fine coloured engraving of her 
tu this character after a portrait of Sir \Vm. 
Beechey, was brought out, and sold rapidly. . , . 
As the history of the painting above alluded to ... is 
somewhat curious we subjoin the account as given by 
Sir Wni. Beechey himself. An individual, whose 
daughter was much patronised by Miss Mellon, was 
employed by Sir William to furnish for his infant 
daughters some of those back-boards and collars which 
keep little heads upright while puzzling over their 
lessons ; and the value of these articles, which were 
delivered at different times, amounted to above fifteen 
pounds. On being asked for the account, however, the 
man hesitated, and hinted something of wishing for a 
picture in exchange ; and Sir William Beechey having 
always patronised him, said he would paint him any 
portrait he would select. The individual being too 
happy at procuring a sixty-guinea picture on such easy 
terms, begged it might be a likeness of his daughter's 
kind friend. Miss Mellon, as ' Volante,' which was 
accordingly done, and the picture given to him. In the 
coui-se of a few years this person was in prison, without 
any pecuniary means ... A young picture-dealer, 
who pitied the extremity of distress to which the 
wretched man had reduced himself, suggested the possi- 



I 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

bility of (the now) Mrs. Coutts buying the portrait, if 
it came through other hands. The prisoner seized on 
the idea, consulting Sir William Beechey as to what 
he should demand for it. The latter advised them to 
name merely the sixty guineas which it would have 
cost if ordered. The picture- dealer had not the money, 
and Sir William advanced it to him, which saved the 
bandage-maker from starvation. When Mrs. Coutts 
returned to town, the portrait was offered to her by the 
picture -dealer, but as she had already four others by 
the same excellent artist . . . she declined the offer. 
Here, then, was the picture, originally given away by 
the painter, and now bought back again with his money. 
At length, when Mrs. Coutts understood the case, she 
purchased it. ITie picture dealer charged her seventy 
guineas. Some yeara afterwards, the same person being 
in some extra strait, wrote to his patron and supporter. 
Sir Wm. Beechey, that the 'latter had behaved in- 
famouiily to him, in advancing only sixty guineas for a 
picture which he had immediately resold to Mrs. 
Coutts for one thousand guineas ; and that unless he 
sent the applicant fifty pounds he would be shown up 
all over England through the press ! ' ITiis ungrateful 
falsehood, of course, met no answer." (Mrs. C. Barron- 
Wilson's " Memoirs of Miss Mellon, afterwards 
Duchess of St. Albans." 1886, vol. i. pp. 280, et seg.) 

Another portrait of Misa Mellon, when iMrs, Coutts, 
exhibited in 1818, will be mentioned in due course. 
To return, however, to the Academy of 1805, in which 
No. 2 1 6 was a portrait of " Mr. Penn " ; this was John 



I 798-1806 



89 



PeDn (1760-1834), grandson of the famous William 
Penn, and is a whole Jength (93J by 57J in.), in uniform 
(he was captain of the 4th, or Eton, troop of the South 
Begiment of Bucks Yeomanry), hessian boots, plumed 
hat held by right hand, and left hand on hilt of sword, 
a view of Stoke Park House, his residence, is seen in 
distance to right. A critic of the time says : " This 
picture is one of Sir 'William's best portraits : the like- 
ness is striking, the colouring clear, and the figure is 
well relieved from the background, which presents a 
I view of Mr, Penn's house at Stoke." The portrait — 
) which is now the property of Mr. J, Merrick Head, of 
Pennsylvania Castle, Isle of Portland — was engraved by 
R. Dunkarton and published on March 25, 1809. A 
" half-length portrait " of the Earl of St. Vincent, 
No, 184, was described, after that of Penn, as the 
artist's " next best, both in likeness and painting." 

In 1806 a new gallery, the British Institution, was 
opened up for the special encouragement of British 
artists. The British Institution was not regarded 
as a rival of the Royal Academy, but it served an 
extremely useful supplementary purpose by exhibiting 
I pictures by Royal Academicians and others which were 
not always up to the Academy level. The firet exhibi- 
tion was opened on February 17, 1806, and nearly all 
the leading painters of the day were represented — 
Beechey, Bone, Copley, Devis, Fuseli, H, Howard, 
Lawrence, Northcote, Opie, Owen, Rigaud, Paul Sandby, 
I R. Smirk, Stothard, J. M. W. Turner, Benjamin West, 
[ Westall, and Nollekens, 257 works, including paintings, 



90 




SIR WTLUAM BEECHEY 



Mtilpltim find mtunslii, "nrre iThitattd ia aU. 

BritikS TT»Hf^iHnn ««> Kim wrpparnd- bv tbe 
pow'-T'' ' '^ 'he rlsT, oU tite nDbieraen m«|- 

(lr<fi< .14 of lU-tinte cunea beui|^ sab- 

WTtl- n PaII M«U bui been erecced br 

Alil' -xliibit hiB uuiuiub ShiilrmwiiTp 

GmI< '>9 oiDcii tfDod work m votuhib 

a'ii>^ Miiition <va««i lu exist in 111^7, 

wfw-n fin- i-r.-r- .if Iji- pretiFtMs cxpiiHJ. B«edwv senc 
thrv« pidniri^ tr> th« tint exhibitiiui. and ramtmued to 
CTthilwt thwi*, off nnd 00. mttii iH^o. Hi» fiirt Ihi^ 
picfnrro wrrr P*^^, VematmadC^upidfaad^ Ijnn ima 

For i«om« rwwoit or othtr, not, it may be 
r^rtain fhe openinii of thir Britith Imtitatiaa, or the 
\iuk of mit»bi<* portraits, U««dwy ima not repttaenied 
in the iS(>6 AraiH^-my, the firat timii tor over tventr 
ywn. From 1776 to iH,1(> be had bum Absent irma 
anij three of the onhiMtioo*, 17H3, 1 7II4, when he was. 
in Sormch, and in r8o(>. ThMwwere other importaat 
(ib«tcnt>on<i in 180'), ami amoni; otiien ileDJamiD West,. 
Parington, Pla-tmnn, und NolMieiiK. 

Turning iwiih for 11 few momMitn froai iiip R TlHnm 
ReMhcy in particular to titi Rov&l Acariamy in genenV 
ftttmtioti may be drawn to th* fiirt that between the 
CKhibltiiinn of iSo^ and 1804 the Council of the 
Academy fotinfl ilicjf in onfi of thnv ijuarrcla which 
*i!«in t« tif iticvitnbitt whmevrraconnnittveitcoaipQaed 
(if «trnn/f willed mm, twh of -'hotn ii»pire« to fJum 
Ihv ullin-ai. Heechey wn* * "">" '*^ »Irong dmrartw, i 



umiaabi ^H 
ter, bet ^^M 



9^ 



1798-1806 

he was also a man of discretion ; although, in the v, 
quarrels which took place in the Academy during his 
career, he took sides with tbe party which he considered 
to be in the right, he seems to have preferred taking a 
passive rather than an active part. His connection 
with the Court rendered this politic. There had been 
internal disputes all through the year 1803. The 
President, Benjamin West, was the object of freijuent 
attacks in the newspapers and elsewhere. The quarrels 
of 1803 appear to have originated with reference to the 
government of the Academy, that is, as to the light of 
the Council to have the entire direction and manage- 
ment of all business of the Society — "an attempt 
having been apparently made at the time to transfer 
the government from the Council to the General 
Assembly." (William Sandby's "History of the Royal 
Academy," i. 265.) On May 24 the Council passed 
two resolutions, denying that they were responsible 
either individually or collectively to the General 
Assembly for their proceedings in the Council, and 
begged the President to request His Majesty to express 
his sentiments on the subject for the future guidance 
of the Royal Academy. These resolutions were passed 
by a majority of the Council, but the subsequent meet- 
ing to con/htn these resolutions was postponed by the 
President, and instead of it a General Assembly con- 
vened, who passed on May 30 a resolution involving, 
among other things, " a further consideration of the 
proceedings of May 24. This proposition was moved 
by G. Dance and carried, but was apposed by Wilton, 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

Rigaud, P. Sandby, Tresham, Cosway, De Louther- 
bourg, and Beechey, besides five metnbers (Copley, 
Wyatt, Yenn, Soane, and Bourgeois), who, for reasons 
into which we need not enter, it was proposed to 
suspend." The suspended members of the Council 
appealed to the King, and in August two addresses 
were presented from the General Assembly counter to 
each other^the one from the majority, the other from 
the minority, (Sandby, " History of the Royal 
Academy," i. 266.) The King's decision was briefly 
this — he disapproved the conduct of the General 
Assembly in censuring and susjiending the five members 
of the Council, and directed that aJ! matters relative 
to these proceedings should be expunged from the 
minutes of the Royal Academy. But these decisions 
did not restore harmony. Among the Beechey papers 
in the possession of the artist's great-grandson, Mr. 
Ernest A, Beechey, there are two long and exceedingly 
interesting letters (presumably unpublished) to Sir 
William Beechey from J. F. Rigaud, which give a 
vivid picture of the events which transpired later on 
in the year — Rigaud refers to a letter of his written 
on November 30, but this has not been discovered. 
The Rigaud letters are as follows : 

" London, Diambtra, 1S03. 

"Dear Sir William, — I shall begin my account of 

what passes in the Royal Academy where I left off 

the 30th ult. 1 told you then that thei-e had been a 

Council the evening before, to determine upon subjects 



P 



• _• 



1 798-1806 



93 



for the students' sketches and other business, and that 
I had that moment received a letter acquainting me 
that the meeting of the Academicians to judge of the 
performances was postponed. But I was unacquainted 
with the motives, and of what had passed in that 
Council. I have learned since that the evening passed 
in debates on the I'resident refusing to sign the minutes 
of the preceding meeting, because they went to per- 
petuate on the records the resolution of May 24, which 
he said ought to be expunged. No business was done 
and they broke up at one o'clock. Last night I at- 
tended the general meeting to receive the Address and 
thanks voted to His Majesty, and prepared by the 
Committee. I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Wyatt 
among us for the first time since the suspension. After 
some unnecessary delay and disagreeable altercation in 
which I took no part, the Address was called for on all 
sides, and Mr. Lawrence got up and said that he had 
been commissioned by the Committee to present ajid 
read the Address, which he did. It was couched in so 
able a manner, in such appropriate and respectful 
terms, that it received unanimous approbation by a 
show of hands. It was then proposed that it should 
be presented by the President, attended by the Secretary. 
The Treasurer was left out, which brought on a debate, 
and at last his name was added to the others. The 
address was then signed by the President and the 
members present without any oi'der, either of .seniority 
or rank in ihe Academy, as we waived any occasion uf 
dispute. So far everything passed tolerably quiet, if 



k 




9+ 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



except a few sharp words between Mr. Copley and 
Mr, Shee, in which Mr. Wyatt took a part, and was 
very unhandsomely rebuked by our opponents. 

" We thought the business of the evening over ; but 
it was not so. Mr. Farington got up with a string of 
resolutions in his hand, which he read, and proposed 
should be passed and carried to His Majesty with the 
Address. They contained a history of the proceedings 
from the beginning of our disputes, exculpating them- 
selves anew, nay, endeavouring to prove that they had 
acted right, particularly in regard to the vote of ;f 500 
to Lloyds ; supporting those sophisms by a precedent, 
and quoted from the books of the Academy a similar 
vote to the Bank for the services of the war some years 
ago, said to have been moved by Mr. A\^yatt ; and that in 
the late instance, the Council being suspended, they bad 
a right to vote the money, and to cany that vote up to 
His Majesty for approbation- 

" Poor Tresham, who was almost sinking under a very 
severe illness and bodily pain, rose up indignant, and 
endeavoured to show them the absurdity of beginning the 
controversy again. Mr. Wyatt supported him, and 
said that it was indecent to go to His Majesty with an 
address of thanks in one hand and a vote of censure in 
the other. Having said so much, and without waiting 
for any reply, he went out of the room, I followed 
him, and so did the whole of our party, a glorious 
minority, consisting of seven, ^*iz., Wyatt, Bourgeois, 
Tresham, Soane, Copley, Yenn, and Rigaud. We went 
to the next coffee-house and spent the evening together. 





I798-I806 



95 



^ 



There is a Council called for this evening to receive the 
recommendations for charitable purposes. If I can 
get some intelligence to-morrow morning I will re- 
a^ume my pen." 

••Dtttmbir 5. 

" I breakfasted with Mr. Venn on Saturday morning, 
but could not write till now. The Council on Friday 
evening passed, as the other two had done, without ajiy 
business at all : but was extremely tumultuous, if I may 
be allowed the expression- The President said that he 
was ready to sign the minutes of the last Council, and to 
proceed to business ; but when the book was opened and 
presented tohira, it waspei-ceived by our friends that the 
minute which they had voted should remain in the book 
was erased. All the indignant peissions were excited, 
and I am sorry to say, a great deal of invectives ensued. 
The matter was sifted, and it was found out that the 
books had been carried down to the general meeting 
the evening before, after we had left it, and there 
blotted out. Nay, it was also found out that the books 
of the Council had been carried out of the Academy and 
sent to the President's, who had them several days in 
his possession since we had had His Majesty's most 
paternal communication. 

■' Yesterday morning was fixed upon to present the 
address of thanks to His Majesty at Windsor. Messrs. 
West, Richards, and Venn were to set off at three o'clock 
on Satui'day afternoon for that purpose. I believe they 
went, and that the President meant to deliver at the 
same time into the King's hands those resolutions which 




06 



5TR WTLLIAM: BEECHET 



(WTtAtn Mr " I II 1 tiilMiihiitlMniwiiiillliBl 

hfTThmt^t liiww»lf hmnMtinthilirteiBfaBri&ifa j c ahy 
<if <tv*rvf hin? tlwe hwi domkL IL will be Mine dan< 
(Wctrw T Itrxiar ^# mmit of that Czrp to Wtndao^ 
hwNiw^ ^fr. Ymn tolf) me that he had bnnDeaa at 
Orrtnnriph oxriv fhix nmmmK and did not know ithet 
hv "hmM hi- hwrlc, nnd tw tor Riciiaida. i t:aiia0t tzmfc 
hfm ATIT mnn: but lu •nnn ■« I know anytimig I tfaaU. 
cnnnntTRtmtt^lt tn ymi. In the nHnntinie I iiiiBit beg 
ttm liffimT nt y«tl not tn part with tfaesaactsiriaM'iiimB^ 
bMWTKr ^imy »nll •Btw to reiie^ mj meaunn 
what T IwvK twm a witncM is, m cue it '^onki 



" tn rripuvt fo mv pnspect of nuxaa in tfau e 
of tk R'vpor, I hK*9 nnthtnc; new to say ; it will depoiil 
mtlrvly nn my fn«nrtB beini^ steady, ood opon tbar 
Mtftrnvmin tn promre me tome addittonal vote9.a9 <raU 
nt iipfm thf^ir m^mI presBnce at the time. I hope tbejf 
win rwt fonak* me, 'ITw day ii not yet tised. nor any 
notW tak*^ nt il, ATcept )iy the i^axKlidatest who aie 
inffffntlfjable in thwr Mnvana. I h«TB r^ceired a letter 
frorti Mr. (iilftin (tcqnainCiag me that he miglit be 
indiKwl to (r)*c me his ball in caie hia fnend (wbom I 
i\iH» not nani)') ihonld not come upon Uie ballot 
«I<lrM« t« «t Mr. Whithread. MJ"., southiU, 

" Bt RMttrfH of my onoere aflecfcton, 

"J. F, BiQAirD." 



I 798-1806 



" London. Dtctmbir t: 



1803. 



" Deak Sik William, — I am obliged to you for your 
letter, and without any preamble I shall go on with 
the account of what has passed in the Royal Academy. 
I believe I have already informed you that an address 
of thanks had been prepared and signed by us all, and 
that there was a string of resolutions to be passed after 
we had left the room, and that Mr. Venn had declared 
in the Council that he considered it his duty to acquaint 
His Majesty of everything that had passed. Accord- 
ingly, when the day was fixed to go to Windsor (Sunday, 
December 4) with the Address, he contrived to be 
admitted a few hours before them and laid the matter 
before the King. Then comes the President, Secretary 
and Treasurer in due form and present the Address. 
The King i-eceived it with great marks of approbation. 
After that Mr. West begged that His Majesty would 
condescend to receive a paper which he held in his 
hand, and had been voted to be presented to him with 
the address. The King turned to the Treasurer and 
Secretary and asked when that paper had been voted ? 
That he did not know of any other business that night 
but the voting the address. The Trea,surer confessed 
that he had heard it read, but was not present when 
it passed, because himself as well as several other 
members had left the room thinking the business of the 
evening over, and not approving the contents of the 
paper intended to be passed by vote ; but he could not 
I tell whether that was the same paper. The King told 

L the President that he could not receive that paper as 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

coming from the Academy. The President be^ed 
very hard that he would receive it ; if not aa official, he 
would condescend to receive it as a private paper 
conveying some material information. The King then 
said he would receive it as a private paper, and they 
would hear from him in a few days. Accordingly, on 
the Wednesday following he sent for the Treasurer to 
Buckingham House and gave him a sealed paper to 
deliver to the Secretary with his command to read it at 
the nest general meeting, which was to be the loth, the 
day appointed for the election of the Officers. The meet- 
ing took place accordingly, and after a few altercations 
concerning some mistaketi, want of order and blunders, 
the President declaretl that the address had been re- 
ceived with marks of approbation, but he had nothing 
further to communicate, as His Majesty chiefly addressed 
himself to the Secretary. Mr. Richards upon that 
drew a paper from his pocket, which he read. It was 
signed by the King both at top and bottom. It 
enforced the former paper communicated to us some time 
ago and of which I have given you on account It ex- 
plained it in every part. He disapproves in strong 
terms of the contents of the paper which had been 
presented to him with the address ; and to restore 
harmony among us he desires that it may be obliterated 
from our memory. He commands that tbe minutes of 
the Council, viz., that of May 24, and another whicH 
had been scratched out, be reinserted ; and orders that 
this paper be inscribed in the minutes of the Council 
for tuture rule of conduct, as the other was to be 



I 798-1806 



99 



inserted in the minutes of the general meeting. A 
dead silence was the effect produced by the reading of 
that paper, and many faces were lengthened. We 
passed to the business of the evening without speeches. 
The Presitient was re-elected and the Visitors chosen. 
As usual of late I was left out. There was some con- 
versation passed about Mr. ZofFany being of the Council 
as the rotation imports ; but his living above six miles 
from Somerset House was said to be an objection by 
law, and he was left out. The Council for the next 
year stands thus : Turner, Soane, Rossi, Bourgeois, De 
Ijoutherbourg, Smirke, Farington, Dance. So that the 
whole power of the Academy stands now with them 
and the next year's rotation will still strengthen them. 
They will have an ample field for consolidating their 
plan, whatever tt may be, and it will be found out that 
by doing our duty we have put arms in their hands to 
chastise any of us, who have the impudence to oppose 
them in their assumed authority before it devolved to 
them by law. The office of Keeper not being annual, 
there is no particular day fixed by law for the Election. 
It is generally done as soon as possible after the vacancy 
is declared, but it requires, I believe, one month's notice 
to the Academicians to offer themselves for candidates, 
and then a week's notice of the day of election, with 
the names of the candidates inserted in the notice. No 
mention was made of it in the general meeting of last 
Saturday, so that I am in great hopes you will be in 
town. I shall at any rate give you the earliest infor- 
mation. Your vote and interest is very material to 






SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

DM. I ui aorrjr to bar yoa my thmt. yrm hare oo 
trUatdt in the Aetdemj that are not roine, because, 
thotrgh it k flatterioff to rae, it reduces the number 
very low. However, I bare stiU some hopes, and I 
■hall not f(ivc up the contest; I think I stand upon 
very firm ground. My enemies are divided, and very 
warmly no. Farinpton is for Smirke, but I think be 1 
loten ground, and likely to lose more by the rebuke J 
hi» frii-ndii muat now feel that they have received, 
Opit! in for Fuselt, and Mn. Opie goes about canvassiuj 
for him, and says that they will never vote for SmirkeJ 
Bankii ban a few fricndii. Mrs. Forster goes about to wbioi 
for him, and some intimates of Glornt- Tooch [? Home 
Tooke] employ themselves also in hia favour. This will 
greatly divide the votes in the first instance. I have 
«leven undoubted ones, and an addition of three in 
the second ballot, which makes nineteen [? fourteen]. 
V. Sandbv ban rtveivod a letter from Mr. Gilpin, who 
proniiiifji him his second vote for me, if the person he 
is cngn^ctl for In the first instance does not come upon 
the ballot, Suveml more may be induced to do the 
same, [larticularly if they should happen to change 
their opinion in r<-gard to their leader. Excuse the 
hurry in which the Kb«)vc is written and believe me, 
" Yours sincerely, 

"J. F. RlCACD." 

OUmt fitmrtrb tifun broke out, and in 1805 ooe of 
thtw had rmchvd a crisis " The dil Ter w K 'ea.* atys ooe 
of the jMtpNra of the period (ColiMghi Collcctiwi of 




L 



I 798-1 806 

Newspaper Exti^ts), " which have for a long time pre- 
vailed among the members of this Institution [Royal 
Academy], have been much lamented by every friend to 
the Arts, and more particularly by those who are 
acquainted with the respective parties. But the regret 
arising from these diiferences is aggravated by the con- 
sideration that they are not likely to subside, as the 
supporters of both sides of the question are animated 
by so firm a conviction of the justness of their cause as 
to preclude all hope of an amicable accommodation. 
At length Mr. West, finding the duties of the Presi- 
dentship too arduous and perplexing, amidst the con- 
flicts of party, has been induced to resign his office." 
West was the last survivor of the four artists who, in 
1768, presented his Majesty with a plan for an 
Academy ; and, in a letter " To the General Assembly of 
Ai^emicians of the Royal Academy," dated Decem- 
ber 2, 1805, he signified his determination to resign ; 
Wyatt acted for & time as President- Elect, but in 1806 
West was persuaded to again take over the duties ; 
" the only dissenting voice was that of Fuseli, who, in 
his usual saicastic manner, admitted that he had voted 
for Mrs. Moser, as he thought one old woman as good 
as another ! " (Sandby's " History of the Royal 
Academy of Arts," vol, i. p. 268.) 

The long " reports " in the form of letters from 
Rigaud to Beechey, quoted above, are explained by the 
fact that the latter was away from London on a visit to 
the Earl of Egreniont at Petworth. Fuseli was at the 
time a candidate for the post of Keeper of the Uoyal 



SIR WUXIAM BEECBET 

ttwtlM 



Bmatmft TntsiA on hw bakaii. 
(to trbich it in nalv luaM^BV 
elcetett to the pmt in ((^M>^ ifE. iJio^ 
by RweR to SeBebe^ a» 





letter iim«cil eoald 

pfient : iCa 9 

of tfae Itnri, atMl bat fdrtl» Mmx 



■imw of fu>^tB6m. ifttt 1 rbooki lj» fU» ^ 
mjTMlf and unwoitlif of Siv WtISubc* 
eonJWimat offiw, if I aid nnC e 
■s HIertusI M poanfalp. Vmi it is' iv iiB umw^. (K E 



n<i«. ^Vlio tfavr on^ <■- n 



by 

not mi! to -iny, nnlns f nUKbt be nilowed to hint tla^ 
«t^ M(smr». ^xmlby. Tirmbma and Wmtt. ilu &Rani!- 
aMv opininn (ntf(ht fp-n mo an iiiUimt wiinlt i — --*• 
pKtenrl (n myw^lf. .■*m:h, fir, •*!» tlw baltt waitoyna 
hivp f>Tmt^f>'rf mr *•> fnrm ; if th^ ■» btaftmfKtyaa 
will I limn. But bv tfant aa it mnj, 

pht r< " layaaif unaltwrnbly and with the 

Mf[lu : .MoatobUgad ndfiutfaftilKmat, 

" U. FVttu." 



1798- I 8o6 



103 



" When the election shall come on, or why it he post- 
poned, unless it be on account of several absentees 
among the members, I am not competent to tell." 

An interesting and apparently unexhibited portrait 
of 1806-7 ^^y ^^ mentioned here, a Bishop's half- 
length of Vice- Admiral Sir Samuel Hood (1762-1814), 
the distinguished naval hero, knighted in 1804, who 
reduced Madeira in 1807, was second in command 
under Sauraarez in the Baltic 1808, created a baronet 
i8og, vice-admiral i8ii, commanded in the East Indies 
1812-14, and died at Madras. This portrait, although 
paid for by Lady Hood, was painted for the Earl of 
St. Vincent, and was engraved in stipple by E. Bocquet, 
8 in. by 8 in., and published May 10, 1813, by Cadell 
and Davis. It shows him to half-tigure, directed to 
front and looking to right, in uniform, without hat, 
left hand apparently resting on btlt of sword. 




CHAPTER IV 



Bkeckey had eight portraits in the Academy of 1807. 
The most interesting of these was perhaps No. 48, the 
Earl of SI. Vincent, of whom, as we have seen, a half- 
length was in the Academy of 1805. A long series of 
the portraits of naval heroes followed rapidly the 
painter's successful picture of A'fiw/i (180 1). All the 
captains present at the battle of the Nile were painted 
for the Earl of St. Vincent ; and finally a picture of the 
Sari himself, which deserves to rank with the most suc- 
cessful productions of the artist. " A duplicate of this 
picture, which was, if we mistake not, painted several 
times, is still in Sir William's Gallery, in Harley Street. 
It was lately brought into juxtaposition at the Exhi- 
bition of the Society of British Artists with some of 
Sir Joshua's finest works, without the injorj' which most 
modem painters would have sustained from so invidious 
a comparison'" ("Cabinet of British Art," p. 102). 
Both the 1805 and 1807 portraits of St Vincent may 
have been done some time before this public exhibition. 
There can, indeed, be no doubt about Beechey having 
painted a portrait of St. Vincent some years before, as 
one is named in a list given ia '' Public Charactera 




I807-I8I7 

i8oo-i,''p. 353! ^"t whether the portrait there men- 
tioned is either of the exhibited pictures or another 
it is impossible to say. It is stated that the portrait of 
the Earl, exhibited at the Guelph Exhibition, 1891, by 
the Corporation of the City of London, three-quarter 
length, life size, in naval uniform, with Ribbon and Star 
of the Bath, upraised sword in right hand, left resting 
on a cannon (canvas 55 in. by 46 in.), was presented to 
the Corporation by Alderman John Boydell* in 1793. 
Another Beechey portrait of the Earl is the property 
of the Fishmongers' Company (lent to the Naval 
Exhibition 1891, No, 375, and again to the Naval 
Exhibition, Eai-l's Court, 1904, No. 316); and yet 
another was tlie property of Admiral Sir William Parker, 
and was lent to the last-named exhibition by Lady 
Parker, No. 379: it shows him to waist, directed to 
front, looking to left, in uniform, with Star, Order, and 
sash (canvas about 30 in by 24 in.). This was engraved 
for J. S. Tucker's "Life," 1844. At least three dif- 
ferent portraits of the Earl have been engi-aved : (i) tor 
Cadell and Co., March i, 180Q, " from the original in 
Sir W. Beechey's possession, in civilian's dress, with Star 
of an Order, profile, directed and looking to right, giey 
* Boydell was a ganerous bene^tor to the Gallery of Ihe 
Corporation of LondoQ. and in iSdo a whole-leu gib partrail of the 
Biderman at a cast ol 2011 guioeas was commissioned from Beechey 
by the City authorities ; it is now at the Guildhall, A small whole- 
lenglh of Boydell, also by Beechey. in alderman's gown (canvas 
logxi6|}, was bequeathed to the National Portrait Gallery in 
November i8ga by Mr. Henry Graves, whose firm carries on the 
business of print dealers and publishers established by Boydell in 
Ihe eighteenth century. 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

hair; (2) in mezzotint by Charles Turner, 22^ in. by 
16} in., November 11, 1816, whole length, standing, 
dii-ected to front, in peer's robes, holding sword in left 
hand, in right a scroll inscribed Naval Abuse Bill, on 
table to left folio volumes and globe, warships in dis- 
tance. The original of this engraving was lent to the 
Naval Exhibition, Earl's Court, 1904, No. 381, by the 
Lady Harris, C.I. The Fishmongers' portrait above 
mentioned, is obviously a version of Lady Harris's pic- 
ture, but differs slightly in details ; e^., instead of the 
warships in the distance to left, that portion of the 
picture is filled up with a view of a classical statue, 
probably Hercules ; and (3) in stipple, from Admiral 
Parker's picture, already mentioned, by G. Cook 
(4jin, by 3jin.), in an oval, directed to front and 
looking to left, in uniform, 1844, and again in 1851. 
There are many other portraits of the Earl by Beechey 
in existence. One was lent to the South Kensington 
Exhibition in 1868, No. 76, by the llev. St. Vincent 
Beechey, a bust, profile to right, in black coat, with 
ribbon of the Order of the Bath (canvas 30 in. by 25 in.), 
" believed to have been painted when he [Beechey] was 
upwards of eighty." This is stated to have been pre- 
sented or bequeathed by the Earl to his godson, the 
above-mentioned Rev, St. Vincent Beechey- A replica was 
in the Beechey sale at Christie's, June 11, 1S36, lot 55 
{erroneously catalogued as Lord NeUon), and bought in 
at 10^ guineas. Another was lent to the Naval and 
Military Exhibition, Edinburgh, 1889, by Mr. W. E. 
Malcolm, of Bunicoat ; and another, in unitbrm, oval. 



1 807-1817 



107 



the property of Mr. John Corbett, of Inipney, Droit- 
wich, was at Christie's on June 18, 1904. Bone exhi- 
bited an enamel copy of one of Beechey's portraits of 
the Eai-1 at the Royal Academy of 1810, No. 653. 

Beechey's portrait oiH.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester 
figured as No, 93 in the Academy of 1807. ITie duke, 
like the Earl of St. Vincent and several other sitters, 
must have been a profitable source of income to the 
artist, Beechey exhibited four portraits of him at the 
Academy, 1807, 1812, 1819, and 1825. As William 
Henry, the first duke, died in 1805, these would all be 
of William Frederick, second and last l)uke of Glouces- 
ter {1776-1834). But Beechey also painted the first 
duke more than once ; one of these, a full three-quarter 
length, in uniform with decorations, sword under left 
arm, map in hand, was engraved under the title of 
H.R.H. Prince WiUiam Frederick of Gloucester, in 
mezzotint, by T. Hardy, July i, 1802 (this, or a replica 
of it, was at Christie'^s on July 26,1902, lot 29), and 
another, in uniform wearing the Star of the Garter, a 
very indifferent picture, was in the Duke of Cambridge's 
sale of 1904, when it realised 21 guineas. We find from 
an entry in the Account Books under date April 9, i8c8, 
that two whole lengths of both dukes were commissioned 
hy (or for) the Committee of the London Hospital ; and 
it is doubtless that of the second duke which figured in 
the 1808 Academy, The jtfrj. Bates, No, 8, of this 
year has not been identified beyond her name. Sir J. 
Earle, who figui-ed under 37, was the eminent surgeon 
(1755-1817), who wrote many books on medical science. 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

and who lived in Hanover Square; he was president 
of the Royal College of Surgeons, and was knighted in 
1802. This portrait was engraved in mezzotint by 
U. Dunkarton, March 10, 1810, and shows him to 
waist, in plain coat and frill, curtain in background, 
with medical books to left. The Counters ofBreadal- 
bane, No. 107, was Mary Turner, daughter and co-heir 
of David Gavin, of Langton, and was married to the 
fourth earl {afterwards first marquis) on September 3, 
1793 ; she died in 18,^5. The Children of Mrs. Phippi, 
No. 170, and Mrs. Latigley, No. 182, probably a three- 
quarters, conclude the Beechey exhibits of 1807. 

Of the six portraits of 1808," three remain anonymous. 
The most important of the others was one of several 
portraits of Adolphus Frederick, Duke of Cambridge 
(1774-1850); it was done for the "Committee of the 
Asylum.** From the price entered in the Account Book, 
1808, this portrait was a three- quarters ; one copy of it 
was done at the same lime for the Duchess of York, 
for whom a second copy was made in 181 1. This 
portrait of the Academy of 1808 is that which was 
engraved in stipple by W. Skelton, Dec. 1808 (the 
engraving is of a half figure). The late Duke lent a 
whole-length life-size portrait (canvas 94 in. by 57 in.) 
of his father — facing, head to right, right arm resting 

• '■ Sir William Be«cbey.' ' obserues a wriiet in one of the news- 
papers, "enriches the collection with several portraits in his most 
Gabbed aad animated manner. The Conniess of Ormood, Lord 
Mulgrave, and his Royai Highness the Duke of Cambridge are 
strilcing likenesses, but tbe whole are in his highest tlyle of 
colouTing." 



1 807-1817 



109 



on an ermine mantle on pedestal, left hand holding 
di'ess — to the Victorian Exhibition of 1891-2, No. 109, 
and this is doubtless the portrait which was at the 
Academy of i8ig. It was not included in the Duke of 
Cambridge's sale in June 1904, where, however, there 
were two small ones, both unimportant ; one of these 
was at South Kensington in 1868, and at the Guelph 
Exhibition 1891, and this Went for 55 guineas, the 
other only realised 35 guineas ; both were half figures 
in dark coats, and measured 29J in. by 24 in. The 
portrait, a three-quarters, of Lord Mulgrave, No. 57, 
an officer in the Army and Governor of Scarborough, 
was engraved before it went to the Academy, as 
William Skelton's rendering of it was published on May 
' 4th, 1808, whilst it was on the walls of the Academy. 
According to Neale's " Views" (vol, ii.) this portrait 
was the property of Sir George H, Beaumont, and 
hung at his residents. Cole Orton Hal], Leicestershire. 
The Ladi/ of Quality, No. 68, has been identified as 
a whole length of the Countess of Ormonde, Anne, 
daughter and heir of Joseph Hart Pryce Clarke, wife of 
the eighteenth Earl and first Marquess of Ormonde, 
whom she married in 1805; one of the critics of the day 
pronounced the likeness "successful, but as to the rest 
we must exclaim 'there is canvas to let.' Sir William 
seems lost when he goes beyond a half length," and 
further, that the artist's style is " flimsy and undecided, " 
and reminding him (the critic) of what Sir Joshua said 
of one of Gainsborough's portraits, " very much like the 
dream of s picture." 




no SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

Reverting for a moment to the British Institution, 
we find that Beechey was represented at both winter 
exhibitions of 1807 and 1808, Of the two in the 
earlier year, one was a fancy piece, Braveiy and 
Humanity (38 in. by 33 in); the motive of the 
picture is sufficiently told in the words which appeared 
in the Catalogue : " In the fii-at expedition of the 
British troops to Flanders, in the late war, the French 
had pil1a}!;ed a cottage and left its miserable inhabitants 
without bread, telling them they ought to think them- 
selves very well off, for the English were coming, and 
would not only rob, but murder them. A party of the 
Guards arrived soon after, and, on learning the treat- 
ment they had received, pulled off their haversacks and 
supplied them with what provisions they could spare." 
The second picture was the study of Jn Old Afan''s Head, 
which the Director, edited by T. F. Dibdin, declared 
to be " one of the most spirited and pleasing of his per- 
formances," and which, it may be added, was purchased 
by the Marquis of Stafford. In the following year there 
wei-e Rtistic Ruminating, 15 by 12 inches, two views at 
or near Southend, Essex, a view of Leigh from the 
hamlet of Prittlewell, Essex, all about 25 inches by 33 
inches, and a larger picture of a Monk at kit Devotions. 

Quite the most important, or, at all events, the most 
interesting of the eight pictures in the 1809 Academy 
was that oi Mr. Wilkie, No. 93. This was the young 
Scotch artist, David Wilkie, who had come up to 
London and entered the Royal Academy school in 1805, 
and whose pictures of The VUlage PolUkiant at the 



I807-I8I7 III 

Academy 1806, The Blhid Fiddler in 1807, and The 
Rent Day of the Academy in which his portrait by 
Beechey appeared, had created so much sensation. This 
portrait shows him to three-quarter length, holding 
brushes and palette, with a sketch of 27w Blhid Fiddler 
behind; it was engraved by John Young, January i, 
1810, and again by H, Robinson for Jerdan's " Portrait 
Gallei-y," 1830-45 (vol. v.). It was appai-ently done as 
a gift to the young artist, and was in Wilkie's sale at 
Christie's, i860, when it realised 32 guineas, the 
purchaser being Mrs. Hunter ; it was bequeathed to the 
National Gallery of Scotland by Dr. Hunter, of 
Woodbank, near Largs, Whilst this portrait was in 
hand, Wilkie records in his "Journal" a visit which he 
paid to Beechey on Twelfth Night, 1 809 ; " We had " 
(he says) " a very splendid entertainment. 1 there met 
for the first time the too celebrated Lady Hamilton. 
She had with her a girl supposed to be the daughter of 
Lord Nelson, a creature of great sweetness. . . . Lady 
Hamilton is lusty and tall, and of fascinating manners, 
but her features are bold and masculine. Her daugh- 
ter's name is Horatia Hamilton. After supper we were 
entertained by some songs from Lady Hamilton." 
Benjamin R. Haydon, the historical painter, makes an 
interesting reference in his voluminous "Journals" to 
this portrait. Writing in 1808 he says ("Autobiography 
and Journals," 1853, i. 91-2): "Wilkie breakfasted 
with me, and away we went to Sir William Beechey, to 
get his vote for Charles Bell as professor of anatomy. 
Sir Willii^ni made Wilkie sit for his head : while this 



112 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

mu perfoTmiaf^, I wrat to call on SntiHi?, and left 
Wilkie to break the matter to ^ir WHliam ; oune back 
and fotiiMl it as hopeless with him as with Smirke.~ 

Of Mn. Ixedji, No. iS, we know nothing, except that 
the pHrtniit wn* a whale length ; the picture. .Ifrjr. 
and Miu Wciherrll, No. A2, is thus deMrnbed br on* of 
the crittCT T " Thi« i» one of the most pleasing pictures 
which thi« nrtirt luu ever produced, lliere is a peculiar 
snftneKN, a hind of fenitnine f^race and elegance in the 
rompoxition whirh, without anv effort or teeming labour. 
lixM our attention and justifies our fult»t admiration. 
The biwkfjmund, the opening perspective, the decorations 
of the work table, the employment of the two ladies, 
the apTwible complarency of the countenance, their 
feminine indnrtry^ — ^in h word, ererf part, of the compo- 
itition. drawing, iTolour and general effect, does high 
honour tn the la«te of Sir WilHam B«echey .... we 
will venture to luwrt that Sir William Beediey aucceeda 
letter in the female figure than tiny p«unter of the day " 
{Thf ife.ixmfftr. May i>*of)). Another paper described 
this xt the Iwst of Beerhey'* exhibit* of the year. It 
nhoiild be pointed out that .Mr. GrsTesi describes this aa 
n picture of Mrs, and Miiw Corkerell. Two persons of 
the mme name, Charleit Wetherell, are given bv Boyle 
a« miiding in this year in Lincoln's Inn, one at No. 3, 
f.jncoln'f* Inn. Old Buildings, and the other at No. 5, 
^tonc BiiildingK, hut there i<i nothing to axMwiate them 
with this portrait ; on the other hand, the two ladtea 
may have been the wife and daughter of General 
Wrtherell, who mt far bis portrait to Bowfasy m 1816} 



w~ 


mMf.-'^i^-A 





1 807-1 8 17 

and the same or another daughter of the General, sat to 
Beechey in 1825. 

Lord Gambler, No. 71, was the famous Admiral 
(1556-1833) who distinguished himself in various naval 
battles and was raised to the peerage in 
portrait, a bust, in naval uniform (canvas 30 in. by 25 in.), 
was engraved, prior to its exhibition, in mezzotint by 
George Clint and was published on September 2, 1 808 ; 
it was again engraved by " G " Bartolozzi on February 
12, 1810, in "The British Gallery of Contemporary 
Portraits," and once more by W. Holl in Jerdan's 
" Portrait Gallery " in 1833 ; the original portrait was 
lent to South Kensington in 1868 by Admiral Gambier. 
The Mr. Gambier of the same year, No. 147, is dealt 
with in connection with the Gambier portrait in the 
1814 Academy. As will be seen from the Account 
Books, Beechey painted four Gambier portraits from 
1808 to 1813. 

The Nobleman and the Lady of Quality, Nos. 82 and 
126, were respectively Howe Peter, -second Marquess of 
Sligo, who succeeded his father on January 2, 1809 (he 
was bom on May 18, 1788 and died in 1845) and his 
mother, Lady Louisa, daughter of Richard Earl Howe ; 
she afterwards married Sir William Scott, Lord Stowell, 
and died in 1817. The portrait of the Marquess is an 
exceedingly fine whole-length, in which he is represented 
standing in a landscape directed to front and looking 
to his left, wearing a black coat with gold buttons, 
white cravat, white breeches and stockings, in college 
gown, and black cap which is held in right hand ; in the 





t 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

background is a building, probably Trinity College, 
Cambridge. This portrait is at Westport House, co. 
Mayo, the seat of tlie Marquess of Sligo, by whose 
permission it is here reproduced. The portrait of 
the Marchioness was a half-length. " We cannot," 
says the critic of The Missntger a.\iv&dy quoted," speak 
as to the justness of the resemblance, but we will 
undertake to pronounce that it is a work which deserves 
to rank very high in art. The dress of the portrait 
has been happily chosen for its picturesque effect — it is 
a custom which comes in, we believe, between the era 
of Hans Holbein and Vandyck — it was a dress invented 
by the painters in the reign of James the First. This 
portrait is very highly finished throughout and does 
great credit to the artist." The dress indeed seems 
to have puzzled the critics, one of whom described 
it as that of Mary Queen of Scots, Unfortunately 
this portrait is not now at Westport, and it is pre- 
sumed to have been destroyed when the Library at 
Westport wa-i burnt out in i825,but(assumingthat the 
original was destroyed) there are probably two replicas 
of it, as in Beechey's Account Book under date May 
22, 1818, we find that he received of " — Curzon," 
payment for two copies of the Lady Sligo portrait. 
The Earl of Altamount thinks that the " Curzon " of 
this entry was the Hon. Mrs. Penn Assheton Curzon, 
Lady Sligo 's eldest sister, and that the present Earl 
Howe very probably has both replicas. 

The remaining portrait of this year was of John 
Aiuley, a successful London merchant, a member of the 



1807-1 8 i; 



"5 



firm of Ansley, I_Ambert and Co., of 52 Bread Street ; 
he was elected Alderman of the Bread Street ward, and 
served as Lord Mayor in 1 807-8, at the unusually early 
age of thirty-two (he was bom on July 9, 1775)- 
It was during his mayoralty that the City petitioned 
both Houses of Parliament for the abolition of sinecure 
places and pensions, and for Parliamentary reform, 
and perhaps it was because of these petitions that he 
i-eceived neither a baronetcy nor a knighthood. He 
represented Bread Street ward until about 1830, when 
he became the Father of the City of London. He died 
at Paignton, Devon, on September 23, 1845, The 
portrait was probably what ia known as a " three- 
quarters" (i.e., 30 in. by 25 in.) and still belongs to a 
descendant, whilst a copy of it has been made in recent 
years for another member of the family. 

The most imposing of the 1810 exhibits was the 
portrait of the Persian Ambassador, No. 42, Mirza-ab-ul- 
Hassan, Envoy Extraordinary from the King of Persia 
to England in 1809, and again in 1818. It is a whole 
length, standing, one hand upon the hilt of his sword, 
the other resting on a folded document which lies on a 
red-covered table to his right ; full robe richly brocaded 
with gold and reaching to the ankles, red stockings, 
green morocco shoes, a high turban, a sash, and a 
sleeveless outer garment of silk and fur, which comes 
down to the knees, complete the costume ; behind the 
right of a column is seen a sunset sky. (Canvas 93 in. 
by 57 in.) It was painted for the East India Company, 
and was paid for on August 7, 1810, by William Astell, 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



M.P., a director of that company, the price being 250 
guineas. It is now in the India Office (see W, Foster's 




"Descriptive Catalogue of the Paintings, etc., in the 
India Office," 1906, pp. 16-17), where some interesting 
particulars of this personage are given. Beechey painted 
and exhibited two portraits of the Persian Ambassador, 
whose two visits to England were the sensations of the J 
time. The original is without doubt that now in tbej 
India Office, exhibited at the Royal Academy in : 
In the exhibition of the following year another portrait 
by the same artist was No. 99 ; this doubtless was the 
half-length which was in the Beechey sale at Christie's, 
June II, 1836, lot 60, when it was bought in at 3I 
guineas. It reappeared in the Beechey sale at Bainy's, I 
July 19, 1839, lot 28, and then realised _^3 
Another Beechey portrait of this year of which we 1 
know the identity was No. 113: Mr-i. Dickons as Mar~ \ 
garita, in a musical entertainment called " No Song, No j 
Supper," written by Prince Hoare and first produced I 
at Drury Lane in 1790, with music by Storace. Mrs. I 
Maria Dickons [nie Poole) was bom about 1770, made 
her d^but at Covent Garden as Ophelia in 1793, and 
played in many important parts up to nearly the time 
of her death in 1833. No, 21, Portraitsofa Gentleman 
and Am Childreti, was, there can be very little doubt, the 
Myers family group for which Beechey received two 
payments of 120 guinea.s on May 18 and October 4, 
1809. 

Although five of Beechey's exhibits of this year re- 
main anonymous, we have at all events the satisfaction 



P 



. ■ •. 



• • • 









1807-1817 117 

of having exhumeii a general notice of his works in this 
year's Academy. A writer in one of the newspapers 
says : " Sir W. Beechey's colouring is gay ; he is less 
vigorous in his marking, and in his style altogether, 
than bis contemporary portrait painti^rs ot distinction : 
he is therefore not among the best painters of men ; but 
his effeminacy of style, or rather his delicate graceful- 
ness of attitude, his richness of colour, the soft tones of 
his flesh, and the elegant disposition of his draperies, all 
so conspicuous in Nos. 72 and 147, render him the ladies' 
Apelles." Three distinguished artists had died in the 
interval between the 1809 and 1810 Academies, John 
Hoppner, Paul Sandby, and Ozias Humphry. F. Bar- 
tolozzi, too, was no longer a member. Two of these, 
Sandby and Bartolozzi, were Foundation members of the 
Royal Academy, and of the original body only George 
Dance, Mary Moser (Mrs. Lloyd), John Inigo Richards 
(who died in rSio), the President, Benjamin West, and 
Zoffany (who, like Richards, died in 1810) remained, 
with the exception of Nathaniel Dance, who, however, 
scarcely counts, seeing that he resigned in 1790. This 
interval is still further noteworthy in the annals of art, 
inasmuch as Wilkie, on the advice of Beechey, became 
candidate at the Academy, and was elected an Associate 
on November 6, i8og. In February 1811 he suc- 
ceeded Francis Bourgeois as full member of the Royal 
Academy. 

Four out of the eight Beechey exhibits of 1811 
remain hidden undev the disguises of A Lady (there 
were two such), A Nobleman, and A Gentleman. The 



most attractive of the others from a popular p 

luld have been the second portrait, No. 99, ( 
Persian Ambassador already referred to, "in the drvss 
in which he was first introduced to His Majesty." The 
CouiUess of Albemarle, No. 293, a three-quarters, was 
the Hon. Elizabeth Southwell, who married in April 
1792 the fourth earl, and died in 1817. No. 199 was 
a whole-length of J. Egerton, Esq., M.P. who was 
elected for Chester City in 1807, and again in 1812, 
continuing to represent that place until 181S. John 
Egerton succeeded his kinsman as eighth baronet of 
EgertonandOultononSeptember23, 1814, andassumed 
the name of Grey in addition to and before that of 
Egerton in October 1815. He was bom on July 11, 
1776, and died ttp. May 24, 1825. Sir Henry Half ord, 
No. 437, was the eminent physician to George HI. and 
three succeeding sovereigns. He was bom in 1766, son 
of Ur. James Vaughan, assumed the name of Halford 
on inheriting property, and acted as President of 
the Royal College of Physicians from 1820 until his 
death in 1844. This portrait, a half-length (canvas 
40J in. by 34 in.), was presented to the National Por- 
trait Gallery in November 1896 by his nephew, the 
Rev. Canon Edward Thomas Vaughan. 

Beechey, in spite of his numerous engagements as a 
portrait painter, continued to support the firitish Insti- 
tution. To the 1810 exhibition he sent the large Hebe 
Feeding the Eagle nf Jupiter, already mentioned, and 
Venus and Cnpid, a study. To the exhibition of the 
following year he sent another study (same sixe, 28 in. 




1 807-18 17 

by 23 in.) of the latter subject. lu 1812 there was 
Dothing by him; but in the next exhibition he had a 
fancy piece (44 in. by 36 in,), called Cottagers Returning 
Thaitki to Heaven for their P reservation from a recent 
Storm,BMA\a 1814, Gipiks Regaling Themgelvea {$^ in. 
by 64 in,)- Referring to the last-named, one of the news- 
paper critics declared ; " We can give no account of this 
production of Sir William's pencil, for it is to us quite 
unaccountable. The ass's foal in the corner of the 
picture seems to have been in full training for a l^rince 
Regent's charger ! " 

After an interval of three yeai-s, Beechey had two royal 
portraits among the seven pictures in the Academy of 
1812. ITiese were the Dnke of Gloucester and the 
Duke of Vork. The first of these was the fine whole- 
length life size painted for Sir John F. Leicester in 1810. 
The duke is standing in a landscape, in uniform, with Star 
of the Garter, right hand holding hat, left resting on 
sword(canvas, 100 in. by 72 in.). It is described inCarey's 
catalogue of the Leicester collection, 1819, and is there 
saidto"rankamong the best productions of Sir William's 
pencil. The head is finely painted, the figure in a bold 
and masterly style, and the bi-eadth, richness, sobriety 
and subordination of the landscape backgi-ound are 
every way worthy of such a principle." A full-page 
etching of it is given in Young's " Catalogue" of the 
same collection, 1821. The portmit of the Buke of 
York was probably the " head " i.e., a " three-quarters," 
of which a version was in the Beechey sale at Christie's 
on June 11, 1836, lot 52, " TAe Duke qf I'ark, 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



painted in 1812," on which occasion it was bought in at 
6^ guineas ; it reappeared at Rainy's rooms in the sale 
held after the artist's death, when it fuund a pui'chaser 
at ^6 15s. Either this or one of the (probably many) 
replicas was in Sir Robert Peel's collection, and realised 
70 guineas at the Fee! sale at Robinson and Fisher's 
on May 11, 1900. Sir Robert Preslun (1740-1834), 
No. 78, was the sixth Baronet of Valleyfield ; the 
portrait was a three-quarter (30 in. by 25 in.); it was 
paid for by " Mr. Brown," who was George Brown, of 
Stockton, whose daughter Elizabeth Sir Robert Preston 
married. Preston was at one time a commander in the 
service of the East India Company ; in 1816, he com- 
missioned copies of his own portrait, of Mr. Brown, 
and of Mary Preston — all three -quartei-s — from Beethey. 
No. 102 was a half-figure portrait of Joseph Nolkkens, 
the sculptor {1733-1823), an old friend of the artist ; 
its shows him looking to front, holding in his right 
hand a modelling tool, and leaning his right elbow on 
a table on which is a model of a monumental group ; 
the portrait was engraved in mezzotint by Charles 
Turner, in 1814, and again later in stipple by Hotl. 
It was presented to the National Gallery, in 1835, by 
the Rev. R. E. Kerrick. The sculptor's eccentricities 
are too well known to be dwelt upon here, but one 
anecdote, related by J. T. Smith in " Nollekens and his 
Times" (vol. i. p. 365), may be quoted. "Nollekens 
... I firmly believe, had no idea whatever of making 
himself noticed by singularities. His actions were of 
the simplest nature ; and he cared not what he said 



I807-I8I7 



121 



or did before any one, however high might be their 
Btfttion of life. He so shocked the whole of a party 
one night at Lady Beechey's, that several gentlemen 
complained of his conduct, to which Sir William 
could only reply, ' why, it is Noliekens, the sculptor ! ' " 
In addition to the Turner and Hall engravings of 
Noliekens' portrait, J, T, Smith, in the above-named 
work, speaks (vol. i. pp. 385-6) of another. Mr. Wivell • 
published at his own expense an engraving in mezzo- 
tints, from Sir William Beechey's portrait of his patron, 
Noliekens, and did himself the pleasure of presenting 
him with a proof impression, also indulging in the like 
liberality to Mrs. Noliekens. The plate, however, did 
not sell, and the engraver lost twenty-five pounds in 
the undertaking. Some time after its publication, 
Mr. Noliekens informed the artist [? engraver] that he 
wanted an impression to give away, and after asking 
the price of a proof said, "Well, Fll have a print." 
Upon its delivery he asked the price of it. " Seven 
shillings and sixpence was the price I put upon it,'' 
observed Wivell. " Well, then, what will it be to me ? 
you won't charge me that sum," said Noliekens. " Oh, 
sir, pray give me what you please," returned Wivell, 
who felt grateful for past favours. " Well, then," 
returned he, " there's three shillings for you." 

There can be no doubt that Beechey painted more 
than one portrait of Noliekens, for among the Beechey 

* Abraham Wivell (17B6-1849), who was successively a shoe- 
maker, a wigmaker, and a portrait- palmer, also invented fire- 
escapes and wrote " Aq Enquiry into the History of the Shakespeare 
Portraits/' 



122 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

papers we find the following letter, dated September 
16, 1822: 

"My deae Nolly, — 

" You were so good the other day to ask me for 
my terms, which I enclose. It was not my iutention 
to make any charge to such an old friend as you ' 
have been, but as I do not profess to be over rich 
1 have, though very reluctantly, complied with your j 
wishes and send my card of terms ; howeier, my dear \ 
friend, you will do as you like and not confine yourself I 
to them, but anything you may deem sufficient I shall 1 
be satisfied with, the reason of my sending you this to- J 
day is because I go to-mon-ow morning very early into 
the country, where I purpose staying a month, for I ' 
feel myself very ill by being so long confined and very I 
hard worked. Lady B. and the girls send their love to , 
you. 

" I remain, my dear Nolly, 

" Yours most sincerely and faithfully, 

" W, Beechey." I 

This may have been the portrait engraved for WivelL 
When on his death-bed, Nollekens was nursed hj 
Sir W. Beechey, and (according to a legend in the 
family) the sculptor left his money to the artist, 
having no children of his own ; '* but a nephew turned ■ 
up, and was much aggrieved that nothing was left to 
him, a poor man, and to whom, had there been no will, 
the property would have fallen. Sir William thought 
it hard, called in the nephew and said, ' Look here, you 



P 



I807-I8I7 



123 



sec this will ? it shall grieve yoii no longer,' and he put 
it in the fire." Unfortunately for this pretty story, 
there is no truth in it, as may be seen from the will and 
its numerous codicils, printed at length in Smith's 
" Nollekens and his Times" (vol, ii. pp. 17-29); the 
numerous beneliciaries enumerated in the original will, 
dated Martrh 21, 1818, include, "my friend, Sir 
William Beechey," who is down for ^200 ; in a codicil 
(dated December 6, 1822 ; he died on April 23, 1823), 
Beechey is appointed one of the three executors with a 
further gift of ^100. 

With regard to the other exhibits of this, year, 
W. Salte, Esq., No. 262, is an engraved picture (the 
original is a three-quarters) of William Salte, of 
Tottenham, who died in the Poultry on February 6, 
1817, in his seventy-first v^ar ; the engraving shows an 
elderly man, looking at the spectator full face, seated, 
holding in his right hand a paper, on which the words, 
"Asylum, to meet H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge,'' 
the date, April 9, 1812, and " W. Salte, Esq." are 
legible; in his left hand he holds a sort of casket. 
Admiral Markfiam, No, 299 {he was born in 1761, 
and died in 1827), was a son of the famous Archbishop 
of York, and after many naval adventures and travels, 
served under Lord St. Vincent at the reduction of 
Martinique, 1793, and in various other engagements; 
he was also St. Vincent's colleague at the Admiralty 
board, 1 80 1 -4, and for many years represented Ports- 
mouth in the House of Commons. His "CoiTespondence" 
was recently edited by Sir Clements Markhani for the 



h 




124 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 




Navy Records Society, to which is prefixed a f^od re- 
production of Beechej'a portrait, which is a half-length, 
paid for in 1809. Markhani's letters are exceedingly 
breezy, and full of epigrammatic expressions of opinion. 

The portrait painters were never more in evidence than 
in the 1812 Academy, nearly every other exhibit being 
a portrait. In addition to Beechey's seven, Lawrence 
had eight (including Kenible in Addison's " Cato,"" 
Sir William Curtis, engraved by W. Sharp, and Thomas 
Taylor, the famous translator of Plato and other 
classics) ; William Owen, who had for some years been 
portrait painter to the Prince of \Vales, had six, in- 
cluding J. W, Croker, M.P., the politician, and the Lord 
Chancellor ; Thomas Phillips had five ; James Northcote 
had four, including the Bishop of Ely ; Martin A. 
Shee had seven. There were three portraits of the 
Duke of Susses, one by G. Harlow, another by S. 
Drummond, and a third by J. F. Masquerir, in addition 
to a miniature of him by Trossarelli. Other remark- 
able features of this Academy were a portrait of 
Beechey's old sitter, Mrs. Dickons, by C. Allingham; 
G. Dawe's portrait of Coleridge; L. Hoppner's 
portrait of William Gifford ; Benjamin West's portrait 
of J. A. Wilmot, who adjusted the losses, claims and 
compensations of the American Royalists; and Turner's 
Oxford views. 

The most distinguished personage among Beechey'a 
eight portraits in the Academy of 1813 was the Right 
Hon. Spencer Perceval, No. 198, the eminent politician 
(1762-1812), son of the second Earl of Egmont, and 



I807-ISI7 



125 



who was assassinated by Bellingham, a bankrupt, in the 
lobby of the House of Commons on May 11, i8i2; as 
this portrait shows him holding the liege ncy Bill in his 
right hand, it was probably painted at the time of that 
Act, viz. in 1810. It was engraved by W. Skelton in 
March 1813, by Picart for Jerdan's " Portrait Gallery," 
and again as frontispiece to vol i. of the " Life," 1874. 
Beechey was probably not commissioned by Perceval 
to paint this portrait, as there is no entry in the 
Account Books to that effect ; Lady Arden, the un- 
fortunate Perceval's sister-in-law, purchased what would 
seem to have been the original, a three-quarters, of 
Beechey in July 1813; the Prince Regent apparently 
purchased two i-eplicas in 1816-7; and two more 
were sold to "Mr. Perceval'" in 1823. A version 
of this portrait was at Christie's on July 13, 1901. 
Beechey's portrait of Mr. Perceval, No. 356, must 
have been of a relative, perhaps a nephew of the great 
statesman. The artist's second po.sthumous portrait was 
No. 221, The late Sir F. Bourgeois, R.A. There are 
two versions of this portrait, both of which show him 
to the waist, and are on canvas (29J in. by 24 in.}. That 
at the Dulwich Gallery is probably the R.A. portrait 
of 1813. On the back of the panel is painted a sketch 
by Sir Joshua Reynolds of a mother bending over her 
child, which lies in her lap ; Bourgeois is wearing a dark 
blue coat with metal buttons, white waistcoat, and 
frilled shirt, with a gold medal, the badge of the Polish 
Order of Merit. The second portrait was acquired by 
the National Porti-ait Gallery in February 1867, and 



126 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



this may have been the picture exhibited at Suffolk 
Street in 1830. Oneof these twoportraitswascngraved 
by J. Vendramini for CadcU's "British Gallery of 
Contemporary Portraits,"' 1811, Bourgeois founded 
and endowed" the Dulwich College Gallery, enriching it 
with the splendid collection of pictures bequeathed him 
by his friend Noel Desenfans ; he was boro in 1756, 
exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1779 to 1810, 
was knighted by George III., to whom he was appointed 
" Landscape Painter " in 1 794 ; his death was caused by 
a fall from his horse January 8, 181 1, Sir A. Clarke^ 
No. 226, a whole-length portrait, in robes of the Order 
of the Bath; who was created a K.B. in 1797, was Major- 
General Alured Clarke, of whom an earlier portrait was 
exhibited at the Academy of 1795. One of these 
portraits — it is not known which — was engraved in 
mezzotint by J. Bromley in August 1833, the year 
after his death ; it shows him to half length, looking to 
right, hand resting on sword-hilt. Beechey's four other 
exhibits of 1813 were anonymous portraits, and in- 
cluded those of two gentlemen, one of a "lady of 

* Tbere is anolher side to Ibis splendid gift i( a siatcmcnt of 
J. T. Smith, "NolieVens and His Time'' {vol. i. p. 378}, can be 
relied on. It is the often discussed one of public beneraclora 
acting meanly lowards (heir nearest relatives: ■■ I recollect 
Mr. Nollekens once showing me a letter which he had received 
froni Sir William Beeehey ; and 10 the best 0/ my recollection the 
purport of it was, that the bearer of it was the niece of Sir Francis 
Bourgeois, who bad been walking about the streets all night with 
her children for want of a lodging. Sir William applied to Mr. 
Nollekens to give her a trifle, directing his attention to her miserable 
looki and state of ftppueL" 



I 




HIS.-> RKOieCiENA IIKIfBKKT 



quality," and the other of a Colonel of the East India 
Volunteers. 

In the interval between the 1813 and 1814 Academies, 
Beechey had become, in addition to Portrait Painter to 
the Queen, Portrait Painter to H.R.H. the Duke of 
Gloucester; and his five exhibits of the latter year 
included one of the Duke of Cambridge, already i-eferred 
to. The Mr. E. GavilAer, No. 94, was undoubtedly 
Edmund John, the son of Samitel Gambier, elder 
brother of James, first Baron Gambier (whose portrait 
by Beechey was in the Academy of 1809). Edmund J. 
Gambier was bom at Shenley Hall, Herts, in 1794, and 
after various appointments, was Chief Justice of Madras 
1842-9, and received a knighthood; he died in 1879. 
The portrait was a three-quarters. Reference may 
conveniently be here made to the various other Gambier 
portraits by Beechey. The Mr. Gambkr of the i8og 
Academy was a thi-ee- quarters, probably of Samuel 
Gambier (born in 1752), the Baron's elder brother, who, 
as will be seen from the Account Book, paid for the last 
lialf of the portrait; the Mm. Gambkr, of the 1813 
accounts (her portrait was "altered"), was probably 
Samuel's wife Jane, fourth and youngest daughter of 
Daniel Mathew, of Felis Hall, Essex ; Mai-y, of the 
same year and entry, was her ninth child ; and Citarle.i, 
of the 181 2 Account Book, was probably her eldest son, 
Charles Samuel, bom at Wateringbury, Kent, in 1790. 
These portraits were all three-quarters. 

P. Free, Esq., No. 160, was Peter Free, who lived for 
many years at Hyde Park Place, London, and who died at 



1 18 SIR WILLUM BEECHEY 

Brighton Oft Nov^mberz, ]B5o,i^^79;hiBpartraitwaB 
a thrce-qiMrt*r«. Sir B. Oraiuim, So. 1S3, wHawhole- 
I«ngtii of SirBi^Ilingham Rrginaid GrafaAia*( 1789-1^66). 
the sixth baronet. whoKp father dud when he was Heven 
yean of age. This year Beecher broke ihrangh hia 
umal nile of only exhibiting poTtraits. by Bending a 
fanoT pirtiin* called Urbt, to which rcterence has already 
been made : in Mr. vVJgemon Cimves's aanotated edition 
of t.hf Hnyal Academycatalogueof this vear this picture 
in entered aa a PnTtntU of a Latlif iifQuaiittf as Hebe. 

Very frtr r-hangen had liUcen place in the compositian 
of the AraHemy l»etween the Etii3 andi8[4 exhibitiom. 
Kdward Biirrh, the lihrarian. Iiad retired iir died 
Rdmiind Garvcy an«l .rames Wyatt liad died. 
William Thred had l>wn fleeted to one of the 
and George Francis Joseph liecame an Aaaodate. 
Ijiwrenre's j^rcat portrait of the year was that of Lady 
I^icester, which, tike live of his other exhibits of this 
weaKon, has become popularised through engravings. 
Bewhey'rt portrait of the Duke of Cambridge was next 
to Ijiwrence'si Duke of ^'ork, and that of Sir B, Graham 
w/w nfixt to Owen'* fine portrait of the Earl of Ash- 
biimham, the third earl and one of the greatest book 
cfiltoctnrn of inodcfT) times. Northcote exhibited a 
portrait of Rmnel the engineer, G. Dawe one of the 
leampd Dr. Parr, of whom a tecond portrait, by J. J. 
flails, wa« in the same exhibition, 

' No. J30 of the mintt Aciwtemy wm a picture by H. B. Chaloo, \ 
" Perlrdtit e/ two Famous Hnnlirt and Harriirt gaimg 
Morwbtt. na properly of Sir B. Grabain, IWi." 



libttiom. ^^^_ 
ir died 1 1^^^| 
led. andii^^^l 




1 807-1817 



129 



With one exception, Beechey's portraits of 1815 were 
of titled or distinguished people, at the head of which 
was a whole length of H.R.H. Duke of Kent* (1762- 
1820), the earlier and more important of Beech ey's two 
exhibited portraits (the second was in the Academy of 
1820) of George III.'s fourth son. It was No. 82, 
and was lent by the Fishmongers' Company to the 
Exhibition of " Monarchs of Great Britain " in 1901-2, 
No. 168, and is on canvas (98 in. by 71 in,), life-size, 
facing the spectator, head turned to right, in military 
dress, wearing insignia of the Garter, right hand resting 
on his stick, aword in left, landscape background with 
castle. Skelton's engraving (igj in. by rsJin.) only 
shows the Duke to half-length ; it was again engraved 
by E. Scriven for Jerdan's " Portrait Gallery," 1830-4 
(vol. ii.). The original, or a replica, was in the Beechey 
Bale at Christie's, June 11, 1836, lot 64, where it was 
bought in at T20 guineas; at the subsequent sale at 
Rainy's, July ig, 1839, it was lot 36, but was " passed." 

The following letter by the Duke of Kent from the 
Lodge, Castle Hill, September 20, 1814, concerns the 
fine portrait exhibited in 1815 : — 

• As will be s«n from ihe Account Books, Beechey painted two 
whole-lengtli portraits for " the Freemasons " (perhaps an error 
for " Fishmongers ") of the Dukes of Kent and Sussex, for which 
he received payment in three instalments in January, August and 
September 1815, the total amounting to 400 guineas. The two 
were engraved as a companion pair by W. Skelton, that of 
the Duke of Kent appearing on November i, iSi j, and that of the 
Duke of Sussex, io May of the following year. The latter porlrail 
waa exhibited In 1S16. 



130 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

" Mv DEAR Sir Wiluam, — Agreeable to my promise 
I beg to announce my intention of being with you 
to-morrow (Wednesday, the 21st instant) at the usual 
hour, or as near it as possible, when I hope you will be 
able to forward the picture considerably, as I trust 
nothing will occur to prevent my giving you a full hour 
and a halfs sitting. 

" In the meanwhile with best remembrance to your 

" I remain, 

" My dear Sir William, 

" Ever yours faithfully, 

" Edward." 

Beechey's later picture of the Duke was done in 
1818, and this doubtless was the portrait in the 1820 
Academy ; it was bequeathed to the National Portrait 
Gallery in 1881 by Lord Hatherley: it is on canvas 
(29 in. by 24J in.), and shows the Duke to the waist, in 
scarlet uniform, gold epaulettes, the star of the Oi-der of 
the Garter is on his left breast, an oval badge of theOrder 
of St. Patrick hangs by a short blue ribbon in front and 
rests on the broad blue ribbon of the Garter ; a similar 
picture, in "possession of the Duke of Sussex," was 
engraved in octavo size by Charles Warren, The 
portrait next in importance, No. 164, was of General 
Sir Thomas Picton, K.B.. who was bom in 1758, and 
who, after a distinguished career — he was thanked 
seven times by the House of Commons for his services 
in the Peninsula — was killed at Waterloo on June 18, 



1807-1817 13' 

l8l5- The portrait, a three-quarters (ic, 30 in. by 
25 in.), was paid by a "Mr, Picton" in February, 
1816; and on February i, 1817, a "Mr. Hatl" pur- 
chased a copy at the same price as the original) 
50 guineas ; one of these now belongs to the Duke of 
Wellington, and shows him to waist, looking to left, 
in military uniform ; on the back of the canvas is 
written : " Painted a fortnight before his death." Yet 
another version was in the Beechey sale at Christie's 
in June 1836, where it was bought in at £^ los.. but 
at Rainy's in July 1839, it found a purchsiser at 
^3 los. There are two totally distinct engraved por- 
traits, with half figures, by Beechey of this gallant 
officer: (i) by P. W. Tomkins for Jerdan's "Portrait 
Gallery," 1830-4 (vol. ii.), in which he is looking to 
spectator's right (i.e., to his left), in his military 
uniform (without epaulettes), with long row of orders 
and a cross suspended from his neck, and two stars of 
orders on his breast; and (2) by H. Cook, in which 
he is also in military uniform, with epaulettes, with 
one star only on his breast : in this he is looking 
to spectator's left (his right). No. 97 was a whole- 
length portrait of 5'ir i*. Warhaion, the fifth and last 
baronet of Arley, who died s.p. on May 14, 1831, when 
the title became estinct, bis estates passing under his 
will to his great nephew, Mr, Rowland Eyles Egerton- 
Warburtoii, of VVarburton and Arley. Beechey also 
painted (as did Romney and Hoppner) Lady Warburtoii 
(Alice, daughter of the Rev. John Parker, of Astle, 
Cheshire), who survived her husband until September 9, 



'31 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



1837: thia portimit. which is aam «t Ajrley, was 
ortgtnidlT tt whole lenj^h, but has been rut down : 
both portrftits were ptuntHi uiil paid for seveiral reon 
btAre t8i5.(^.,ui tSll. No. 228, S. KUderbee.E^./ia 
deeribed in Evan*'* " Catali^jne " as Samuei KUderbee, 
an sttonwy at Ipswich. Aa this gentlemao died 
in May 1813, aged eighty-Be*«n. the portr&it would 
hsre been painted some time before it was exhibited ; 
the engraving, n private plate, bj W. C, Edwards, 
idiowa the half lignre of on old nnn directed to &cmt, 
in dark coat and white nitSe, and thin gx^r hair : it 
baa the motto " Providentia divina Repondo." Kil- 
derbee's son and nainesalce »as a DJ). and rector of 
EaotoD from 1817 until his death in 1847 ; his grsod- 
«m was for many yean a member of Parliament, and 
married a daughtir of the Earl of Stradbroke. Captain 
Wittrntn, a three-quarters. No. 305, has not been further 
identified (it was paid for in January 1815, by a 
Miss Ballock) ; the last portrait, also a three-ijuarters, 
of the year. No. 311, was of Lord Matfnani, Charles, 
■econd viscount (1751-1824), and on the death of his 
nephew and Ka<xesBor, on May 18, 1865, the tiUe 
became extinct. 

Before the opening of the next year's Academy 
several events of interest to artists had taken 
place. First and foremost, Lawrence was knighted 
(April 20, 1815); George Dawe had succeeded Henry 
Tresham as an Academician; R. R. Reinagic and 
William Collins had been elected Associates and 
Raebum was an R.A. elect Lawrence was indis- 




3 




MBS. niLL ASD CHILD 
Bt ftrmlHion ly Jflu Ltrrtna J. Arow 




1 807-1817 

putably at the head of the portrait paintei's, and nearly 
all his portraits of the 1815 Academy were of dis- 
tinguished people — the Prince Regent, H.H. Prince 
Metternich VVinnebourg, the lluke of Wellington 
holding the sword of State on the last day of Thanks- 
giving at St. Paiirs; Prince Blllcher, and R. Hart 
Davis, M.P., the picture collector. There was, inter alia, 
another portrait of Mrs. Dickons, this time by H. W. 
Pickersgill : and also a portrait of Master E. Landseer, 
by Master J. Hayter. 

At the Academy of 1816* Beechey was, with 
Mr, Northcote "and, we believe, Mr, Owen," the 
"Pictorial Hangmen," as one of the newspapers 
pleasantly remarked. Beechey'a first picture was No. i 
in the exhibition, a half-length portrait of the Binhop 
of Chester — George Henry Law {1761-1845), an emi- 
nent scholar who, after occupying the see of Chester 
from 1812 to 1824, was translated to the bishopnc of 
Bath and Weils, which he held up to his death ; 
Beechey's portrait was engraved by Meyer, but the 
plate was a private one, Ltwd Hill, No. 19, a whole 
length, was Rowland Hill, who diHtinguished himself 
in the Peninsular war, was rewarded with the Grand 
• '-We do not remember." says one of the newspapers, "an 
eibibition in which there were so few female porlraits as in the 
present one. Of these Sir William Beechey has considerably the 
largest number. . . . This artist appears in two or three of bis 
pictures to have adopted a novel style of background, particularly 
in the portraits of the Duke of Sussei and Lady Bernard, the 
former of which is powerfully characlerstic of the vildness of 
Highland scenery, and the latter of horticultural decorations in the 
margin of the sea," 



134 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



Cross of the Bath, and was elevated to the peerage as 
Baron Hill on May 17, 1814; he died on December 10, 
1842. Loi-d Hill and the lady in Beechey's next por- 
trait of this year.ijrf^ fientiM-/;,* No. 37, were relatives 
by marriage ; she was a Miss Sophia Dubouchet before 
her marriage, on February 12, 1812, to the second Bai-on 
Berwick. Lady Bernard, No. 88, the background of 
whose portrait is said, by one of the papers of the day, 
to consist of " horticultural decorations on the margin 
of the sea," was Charlotte Matilda, youngest daughter of 
Sir Edward Hulse, Bart,, and second wife of Sir Thomas 
Bernard, the author of several books, a philanthropist 
and the chief promoter of the British Instilution ; Lady 
Bernard died in July 1846, and her portrait, nearly 
full-length (ssin. by 43in.), which shows her seated in a 
landscape under a tree, in striped brown dress with a 
white fichu at the neck, was in the James Price sale at 
Christie's on June 15, 1895, when (catalogued as of 
Lady Barnard), it realised the high price of iiSo 
guineas. ITie portrait of H.R.H. the Duke of Sussex 
(of whom, as we have seen, Beechey exhibited an earlier 
work in the Academy of 1801), No. 112, was the com- 

* It is curious to note thai whilst Beecher's Account Book of 
this period does not contain any reference to a portrait of L.ady 
Berwick it conlaias two entries in connection with her. In 
November 1815 she paid the first instalment for a balf-lenglh o( 
Lady Bosworlh{^jo). and the payment by Lord Berwick on February 
5, 1816, of ;i5j, would appear to complete the purchase. Strictly 
speaking (here would be no Lady bosworlb in 1816: the Barony of 
Bosworth, created in 16S7. was merged into Berwick, and both these 
creations became extinct in 1693, The barony of Berwicli was 
revived in 17S4 in favour of Noel Hill, Esq. 



I807-I8I7 



135 



panioD to that of the Duke of Kent in the previous 
year's Academy, and waa a whole length in Highland 
costume; this is the portrait engraved by W. Skelton 
in May 1816, to half-length only ; a replica was in the 
Beechey sale at Christie's, June 11, 1836, lot 63, when 
it was bought in at 125 guineas; at Rainy's in July 
1639 (in the catalogue of which it is described as "extra 
whole length") it was "passed." No portrait of this 
size of the Duke has yet been traced. Ijidt/ Owen, No. 
129, was Charlotte, daughter of the Rev. J. L. Phillips, 
and first wife of John Lord, who took the surname of 
Owen and was created a baronet on January 12, 1813 ; 
they were married in 1800, and L^iy Owen died on 
September, 1, 1829; from the Account Book it would 
seem that Lady Owen's portrait was first intended to be 
a three-quarters, as the first payment was 25 guineas, or 
one-half; on July 16, 1816, a further sum of 50 guineas 
was paid. In 1821 Beechey painted a three-quarters of 
Sir J. Owen, but this was not exhibited. Beechey'a 
final exhibit of this year, No. 334, was of the Hon. 
Captain Peachei/ : " whilst Lieutenant of the ComwailU 
on March 1810, having been all night in pursuit of a 
National brig corvette, seen the day preceding, dis- 
covered her at the break of day in the distance." 
Captain Peachey was Henry John, eldest surviving son 
of John Peachey, second Baron Selsey, and was bom 
on September 4, 1787, he succeeded his father in the 
peerage on June 27, 1816. Beechey also painted at the 
same time a portrait of Ixjrd Seisey's only surviving 
daughter, Caroline Mary Peachey, who was bom May 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

24, 1790, and who married August 19, 1815, the R«v. 
Leveson-Venables Vernon, son of the Archbishop of 
York ; both portraits were whole lengths. The Selsey 
barony became extinct in 1838. 

One would have expected the Academy of 1816 to 
have been strong in what may be described as reflections 
of the titanic struggle which culminated at Waterloo, 
but, curiously enough, the only member of the Academy 
to approach the subject was S. Drummond, A.R.A., 
with a picture of The Bailie of Waterloo, on the eve 0/ 
the i8th. From J. Gandy, also an A.R.A., there was a 
design of " A proposed town residence for the Duke of 
Wellington, surrounded by villas and dwelling-houses, 
forming a circus and trophied garden, corresponding 
with the plan made for the Mary-le-bone park estate by 
late G. White, Esq., in 1809, and now improved by J. 
White, junior." 'I'liis is one of the innumerable 1 schemes 
for a Wellington residence which remained in the embryo 
stage. Another interesting feature of this year's 
Academy consisted of two portraits, by G. H. Harlow, 
of Northcote and Sir W. Beechey, Shee had a portrait 
of Lieu tenant-General Sir Thomas Picton, and Lawrence 
had portraits of J. J. Angerstein, the picture collectar, 
of the Bishops of London and Durham, the Duke of 
York and Major-GeneralSirH.Torrens. Edward Bird 
and John S. Copley appeared for the nrst time as 
R.A.s, and the new Associates were William Mulready 
and John Jackson. 

With regard to Shee's portrait of Sir Thomas I*icton 
above mentioDed, the following letter to Sir William 



1807-1817 137 

Beechey and the draft of his reply cannot fail to be of 
interest : 

My very good friend Sir William, — As I understand 
I have been much indebted to your kindness in providing 
a distinguished place for Sir Thomas Picton's portrait 
[R.A. 1816, No. 6] in the present arrangement, so I 
feei very reluctant to add to the weight of my obliga- 
tions. I beg therefore to withdraw the request with 
which I troubled you some days since, on the subjett of 
Mr. Oben'a drawing* and remain with every proper 
feeling of your liberality. 

" Your most obedient and very humble servant, 
"M. A. Shek." 

Beechey^s draft of reply is written at the back, and 
is as follows : 

" My very good friend Shee, — I certainly meant 
you every kindness and am glad that you afford me 
such distinguished credit in the present arrangement. 
The idea of any weight of Obligation is between us, a 
Farce ; we of course assist one another whenever we 
can. Respecting Mr, Oben's drawing you are the best 
judge, and must act as you please ; being unwell at 
home I committed it to Northcote, to whom referring 
you, I remain, with every proper feeling of your 
liberality, 

*' Your most obedient very humble servant, 

" W. B." 

* ). C. Oben's drawing, Viiai 0/ Glindalagh, tki vallty of tht Scvtn 
ChureMts, County a/ Wkklow, on St, Kivtn'i Day, was No. 391 is tlie 
Academy of 1816. 




ii'-KieiL- tu the 
'rL. Sn- ICO. ioprf 

w haiil«t m.iii.o 



'IluB ii> Miff otctore 




Ndl. .' 

■]Ufflin^ i>i' :iM [kirriEiiti; 

litMlflf unHvr her unsm." 

by riur(<-i Tiir-.-r. .^id 

03i >«»• by I' ; 

tne Bfwnt/m'- "" isil. The . 

pnrtrait i» a j .Ui. ..jhthr burger than 

the Adminl is itxiiilm^ on Km r^iiHrtKr^teek. bate- 
headed, with A tRteroprtn hi* rij^ lvutd,iad the 1^ 
raiwd iM it cncaanffBg hi* men, with nhfaou umI 
mngMit of the Bctfi anA mmrai iormpi onin 
(f«n*M [09 in. by 71 in.). The pmmtowns of Uw 
origmal pirbm in not known to us, hot a n|ri» 
r>f it WM pfe . «ent«t tn the Imtie ( Mbe by the Enl 
i»f Hurdwieke in 11501. TV ortgiael ht « refitin 
ffirmod lot '>2 in the Beerhey mJp »t Christie'ii, June ii» 
r83^. w(i«re it is thfn ilewribeH ; ** I^orrf ItUnxrath^ at 
the hdlUff of At((terr, f(i»iiii5 orHers to take in the 
nail*- whole l^njrth , fnll of <!hAmeter and admimUy 
pnint4>r);" It <"»» honj^t in nt 58 ^neaa. It re- 
app'wwl at the Beechey nale at Rainy"*, July iq, 1839, 
K tot 3(1, where it i« dwwMibeH «• "eTttra whole length," 

I and where it nolfl for 3A pitneas. The battle of 

I Alj{i«ti> (""k p^ncl' In An|l^.. r8i6 (when three 

P tlioiManil t*!ir!stl(in ilavat were renpttefl from the Dey), 

L 



4 




'. LOrieA IKIARK 



1 807-181 7 



139 



so that Beechey, ever alive to the value of actualities 
in art, again scored first, for, with the exception of a 
View of the commencement of the attack in Algiers, 
by H, Parice, Beechey's imposing portrait was the only 
picture of the year which could be associated with the 
recent events in Algiers. 

His first picture in the Catalogue of this year is 
No. I, Portrait of Master Brook.t, a child three ^cart of 
age, as St. John; this was painted in 1814, and from 
the price paid for it, 120 guineas, it would have been 
in a half-length canvas, and one of the three payments 
describes it as "a naked boy as St. John." No. 36, 
Por/raiio/fl^eniirmflH, has not been identified ; No. 49, 
the Marchioness of Hastings, was Flora Countess of 
Loudoun in her own right. She married on July 12, 
1804 (and died on January 8, 1840), the first Marquess 
of Hastings, " a gallant soldier, an eloquent senator, 
and a popular statesman "" ; she appears in Beechey's 
Account Book as the Countess of Loudon and Moira, 
1816 ; the portrait was a whole length. The Marquess 
of An^sca (or, rather, Anglesey), whose portrait. 
No. 103, was a three-quarters (he again sat to Beechey 
in 1820 for another portrait of the same size), was one 
of the distinguished heroes of the Peninsular War, and 
was at the head of the United British, Hanoverian, and 
Belgian horse at Waterloo ; he was created Marquess 
of Anglesey in July 1815. The portrait was engraved 
in stipple by H. Meyer (from a drawing by J. Jackson) 
for Cadeirs "British Gallery of Contemporary Por- 
traits,^ March 21, 181^, and this was repeated by I. 



Thomson in the European MagaziiK, October 1821. 
The engraving shows the Marquess to the waist only, 
in peer's robes, with star of an order suspended from 
the neck ; he is directed to left, the bead turned, looking 
at spectator. No. 173, Portrait of Lady Arbuthnot 
mid family, was the picture of the wife and family of 
Sir Robert Arbuthnot (1773-1853), the soldier, for 
many years aide-de-camp to Beresford ; he was fourth 
son of John Arbuthnot of Mayo, and brother of the 
Right Hon. Charles Arbuthnot ; his wife was a 
daughter of William Vesey, Esq., of Fairmill, Ireland. 
Beechey painted a three-quarters of Col. Arbuthnot in 
1814 which was purchased on December 16, for Lord 
Beresford, with two three-quarter portraits of Bliicber 
and the Hetman Platoff. Mr. Skelton and Colonel Grey, 
a three-quarters, were two other portraits of this year ; 
of the latter a replica (if not the original) was in the 
Beechey sale of 1836, when it was bought in for 




CHAPTER V 



-1838 



A FEW interesting changes in the compogition of the 
r8i8 Academy had been effected: John Jackson and 
Henry Raeburn appear for the first time among the 
Academicians, and William Theed and Samuel Wood- 
forde no longer figure in the list. The new Associates 
were Edward Hodges Baily and Abraham Cooper. 
Beechey's "terms" had undergone frequent revision, 
and the more numerous his clients the higher his prices 
became. About i8r8 his prices, according to one of 
his Note Books in the Library of the Royal Academy, 
were thus : Head (or three-quarters), 60 guineas ; Kit- 
cat, 90 guineas; half length, 135 guineas; Bishop's 
half length, 150 guineas; ditto, containing the whole 
figure, 170 guineas; whole length, 250 guineas; extra 
r ditto with robes, etc., 300 guineas. Half price was to 

1 be j>aid at first sitting. Beechey had in 1818 become 

■ portrait painter to the Duchess of Gloucester, as well 

I as to the Duke and the Queen ; and his eight portraits 

I of this year included one of his new patroness, No. 62. 

I Beecliey had also painted the fii-st Duchess of Gloucester, 

I Maria Walpole, the illegitimate daughter of Sir Edward 

^ Walpole : she married first on May 15, 1759, James, 




142 SIR WILLIAM BEECHET 

mami EvI of W«ld«gm«« (•«» died m ■;63),a 
mumHy ou Bcptcnber 6, 1766, wgiim Hcht, DiAb 
at Gloiwutcr, brother of George IIL. ai^ &d «■ 
A«giMC 23, 1807. She WM puated by BenoUi Md 
bjr O ah wboi wi ^ (n4mm fpleMlid poctntt of kr wM 
tor (3,000 fpifawM in the Cambridge mle). B mfay^ 
pnrtrait wa* Ml unimportant one, and diowi her late ia 
ltr«. in l>1w.'k and wliibe dnw, with black head-dfCM 
(aut*M 2t)\ in. )iy 22( in.), and vas pi uih « w.d at As 
l>ut(« of Canbridipe't lale on June 1 1, 1904, lot 71, fiv 
60 itu\tum by Sir Faudell PhiUipa. The D uJuai rf 
Um iHiS Academy tru Princen Mary, dao^ter of 
Onorga in., who wut bom in 1776, mairied July 22, 
lf(l6, her fint oau«in, William Frederick, second and 
laat Duke nt Glouce«tM-; iilie survived ber husband 
many yrar* and died on April 30, 1857. The portrait 
iliHv not. «|)|)car to have pomed with the other Glou- 
CMter [»r«()crty into thf posMawion of the Duke of 
CJ!Mn>lM-idf(p : at all events it was not included in the sale 
^ of IQ04, It is a whole lenffth, on a Bishop's half-length 

^^^H (MUivait, nnil ihuwpi her >K.-itUrd, looking to front, a land- 

^^^^h acaiMi with Windwir Cfutle in tho distance to right; 

^^^^p the i» wearing a low, dark ilrcsii with white stripes, 

^^^^ IKwrl nwklai-f, with [K<arl band in her hair, and holds a 

r fan. It w(w i-ngravecl in mcxKotint by W. Say, 

I March 12, tHi(>. 

■ IVrlmp* the two jKirtrait* in thJN exhibition which 

I attractotl the must nutitt; were tlione of Mr. and Mrs. 

I CitittU (Nus. 33 luifl 153); tlmt of the former 

I lent hy the IloruneM Uurdett-Ciiuttf> to the Gu 

P^ 



I 




HASTKK IDLE 

Bp permlnt-jn rif Mm. Oaciir !,<•■ 



18I8-I838 



143 



Exhibition of 1891. Thomas Courts (1738-1822), 
founder and for many years sole partner of the great 
banking house of Coutts and Co. in the Strand, had 
married, as we have seen (labe in life and as his second 
wife J, the beautiful Miss Mellon, the actress, in 1814. 
He was then seventy-five years of age and his bride was 
about thirty-seven ; the marriage excited a vast amount 
of interest — it gave the caricaturist and satirist a text of 
which they fully availed themselves — hut the only result 
of it all was to strengthen the mutual attachment, and 
when Mr. Coutts died he left his widow the whole of 
his property, which amounted to about ^"900,000. The 
portrait of Mr. Coutts, a half figure, life size, to left, 
head nearly facing, black coat (canvas 30 in. by 24 in,), 
was engraved by H. W, Sievier in 1822, and also by 
Scriven. The portrait of Mrs. Coutts of this year, as 
that of 1805, was a whole length ; that of her which 
the Baroness Burdett-Coutts lent to the Guelph Exhibi- 
tion in 1 89 1 shows hernolongerthe" slim" beauty of her 
early theatrical triumphs, but a substantial and hand- 
some woman of middle age — to half figure, life size, red 
dress cut low, the right hand raised with the index 
finger extended. This portrait was engraved by 
T. Woolnoth as a book illustration. May it, 1822. 
No. 46, the Right Him. Lord Emkme, was the first 
baron (1750-1823), who, starting life as a midshipman 
was successively an officer in the army, a barrister and 
intimate friend of Sheridan and Fox, became Lord 
Chancellor of Great Britain, one of the greatest advo- 
cates in the history of the English bar. He was painted 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

by B«ynol(i», Lawrence (tfajs was at the Royal Academy 
of i8o2), and Hoppner, all three of which were 
mgraved, Beechey''ti portrait of the Lord Chancellor 
late in life has not been exhibited since 1818, and it has 
not been engraved; it waA a three-quarters, and was 
painted for Mr. Coutts. Nothing for certain is known 
of W. Leake, Esq., No. 86, and the portrait is not even 
mentioned in the Account Book ; but he was probably 
William Leake, the well-known lawyer of 27 Sackrille 
Street, Ijondon, and Putney Heath, solicitor to the Noel 
family (among many others), and this explains the two 
entries in the Account Book, 1820, May 24 and July 22, 
in which " Mr. Leake " pays for a three-quarter portrait 
of Sir Gerard Noel, father-in-law of the Mrs. Noel of 
this same year's Academy. 

Admiral Sir George Campbell, No. 137, wasanotherof 
NolNon^H tliKtinguished officers (he was rear-admiral in 
1801, K.C.B. 1814, G.C.B. :820. and died in 1821), 
and wan second in command of the fleet during the 
bli>ckiule of Toulon 1803-5; ^'^ poiirait, a Bishop's 
half-length, which was engraved by William Ward, 
January 15, 1819, shows him to three-quarter figure, 
standing, looking to front, in naval uniform with collar 
and «tar, right hand holding hat, left on hilt of sword. 
Mr. Ernest Beechey has permitted us to print an 
interesting letter (in his collection) from Eustatia Lady 
Campbell, wife of the Admiral, and the letter is quite 
well worth quoting at full length. It is as follows : 



4 



I8I8-I838 

■' PoRTSMonTH, ScpUmbn 13 [1817]. 

"My dear Sib Wiliiam, — I begg'd the admiral to let 
me answer your kind letter aa I am the person most 
interested. I ani rejoiced to find the Plate is in such 
forwardness— I rather pique myself on the patience '. 
haveexerted — but! feel it nearly exhausted. Ifit were 
possible to increase my anxiety to have the Portrait, 
the innumerable persons expressing the greatest admira- 
tion of it both as a painting as well as a most faithful 
resemblance, would add to that anxious wish. I do 
assure you without flattery I have never known any 
Portrait so much admired for such combination of 
various merit — such pertect excellence. Very many are 
almost as impatient as myself for the engraving to be 
finished, and if Mr. Ward would make it known that 
he is making an engraving from your excellent 
Performance he would soon find it a very popular Print. 
If I recollect right, the Proof Engravings were to he two 
guineas the print, and we desired to have eighteen. As 
the Admiral does not know Mr. Ward's christian name, 
he has taken the liberty of drawing the bill in favour 
of yourself, and trusts you will forgive his troubling 
you ; and may we beg you to tell us if our memory has 
been correct or if more is due for the Engravings. 

" When Mr. Ward has finished with the Portrait we 
will be very much obliged if he will have a packing case 
made for the Picture and have it very carefully pack'd 
and sent down here. ... I am certain you will forgive 
all this trouble, for I know you are very good and you 



know I am 



very 1 



i and 



very 



nervous about this 



146 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

delightful Portrait. The Admiral desires his sincere 
and best regards and I cannot say with how much 
Respect, Esteem and Gratitude, 

I am, my dear Sir Williani, 

Yours ever most sincerely, 

Eg^atu Campbell." 



To return to the other exhibits of 1818 : Mrs. RUey, 
No 214, was the artist's daughter. Mr/t. W. Noel, No. 
315, was Anne, daughter and heiress of Joseph Yates, 
Esq., of Clanna Hall, Gloucestershire; she married on 
May 20, 1817, the Hon. William Middleton Noel, 
younger son of Sir Gerard Noel Noel, and died 
October 6, 1851. The picture, the property of Colonel 
W. F. N. Noel, of the Gi-eat House, North Nibley, 
near Dursley, is a fine whole length, on a Bishop's half- 
length canvas (60 in. by 48 in.), in low white dress 
with necklace seated near a balcony on which her right 
arm rests, the hand resting against her face, her left 
hand resting on her lap and holding a spray of flowers. 
This portrait is here reproduced by kind permission of 
Col, Noel, to whom we are also indebted for an 
illustration of his second Beechey, the Hon. Louisa 
Elizabeth Noel, daughter of Sir Gerard Noel; she 
mai'ned in 1807 William Henry Hoare, of the well- 
known lirm of bankers, and died in 1816. 

Some of the more interesting of the pictures by other 
artists in the r8i8 Academy included Wilkie's finished 
sketch of the Scott Family, Lawrence's portrait of the 
Uuke of Wellington " in the dress that he wore and on 



i8i8-i8 



H7 



the hoi-se he rode at the Battle of Waterloo," Tunier's 
pictures of Raby Castle, the Earl of Darlington's seat, 
the Viev) of the Dort Packet-boat from Rotterdam 
becalmed, and The Field of Waterloo, with a stanza 
fioni " Don Juan " as a legend. There were also busts by 
Chantrey of John Reanie, Nollekens, the late Francis 
Homer, M.P., Benjamin West, and Sir Joseph Banks. 

Beechey had four pictures hung at the British 
Institution of this year — Meg Merrilles (33 in. by 40 in.), 
a half crazy sibyl or gipsy woman in Scott's " Guy 
Mannering," and concerning which one of the newspaper 
writers said that it " perhaps embodies the idea of that 
extraordinary character as completely as the act is 
capable of doing;" The Evening Star (38 in. by 45 
in.), St. John in the Wilderness (72 in. by 72 in.), and a 
view of the Sandbrook Chalybeate. The second of 
these appears to have attracted the greater amount of 
notice ; two lines from Ossian are given in the catalogue : 
" Star of the descending night ! fair is thy light in the 

West! 
The waves come with joy around thee, and bathe thy 

lovely hair." 
One of the newspapers of the day thus comments on 
the work : " A picture which excites extraordinary atten- 
tion here on account of the novelty and singularity of 
the subject isthe£i't7ti»^iS'ii7rof Sir William Beechey.' 
After quoting the above lines from Ossian the critic 
goes on to say : " It is conceived in a truly classical 
taste, the star is personified by a beautiful female 
rising from the bosom of the ocean." 





SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

The large picture of iS^. John in tfie JVildertiess was 
probably an elaboration of that of Master Brooks in 
the 1817 Academy. Beechey wasnotagain represented 
at the British Institution until 1821, when he sent one 1 
of his numerous Hebes, this time a canvas 125 in. by ( 
95 in. This is probably the picture to which one of the | 
papers referred when it stated that " Sir W. Beechey is 
painting a beautiful picture of Hebe, as large as life, on 
a canvas of considerable dimensions, for the nest exhibi- 
tion at the Royal Academy."" j 
The Academic body of 1819 showed the average! 
number of changes. Chantrey was the only additional ■ 
name which appeal's in the list of Academicians, and no 
new name appears in the list of Associates ; but among 
the new list of honorary members there were the Loi'd 
Bishop of London as Professor of Ancient Literature, 
William Mitford as Professor of Ancient History, and 
Samuel Lysons as Antiquary. Beechey's eight portraits 
included those of three Royal personages — his official 
patron the Duke of Gloucester, the Duche»s of Cambridge j 
and Princess Av^ista. The first of these three portraits I 
was the Bishop's half-length, of which a mezzotint en- 
graving was published by W. Say in March 1819, and 
which shows the duke seated, in uniform with star. 
The portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge (H.S.H. 
Augusta Wilhelmina Louisa Princess of Hesse, bom 
July 25) I797> manied May 7, 1818, and died April 6, J 
1889) was the whole length, life-size portrait, her right I 
arm resting on ermine mantle on pedestal, left hand 1 
holding dress (canvas 94 in. by 5;^ in.), which the first 



1818-1838 149 

duke paid for in 1818, and which the late Duke of 
Cambridge lent to the Victorian Exhibition in 1891-2. 
It was in connection with the first two of these three 
portraits that the artist received the following letter, 
dated : 

," Chblibnhau, July 12, 181S," 

" Deab Sir William, — The Duke of Gloucester has 
desired me to thank you for the letter he has this 
morning had the pleasure of receiving from you and 
instructed me to call upon you with the amount of his 
pecuniary debt when I return to Town. 

" Mr. Joseph* of course cannot have the Portrait of 
the Duchess until your son [probably George Beechey] 
has finished the copy for Mrs. Hastings. And as he 
has also two other copies to make you must arrange as 
suits his convenience and your pleasure with respect 
to Mr, Say" and Mr. Joseph. But His R.H. will wish 
the two pictures to be sent Home by Christmas. 

" His R.H. desired me to offer you his heat regards, 
and I request of you to believe me always," 

" Very faithfully yours, 

" Edmund Cdhrey.'" 

The portrait of King George the ITiird's second 
daughter, Princess Augusta, is doubtless the three- 
quarter length portrait of her with a landscape 

• The reference to Say was of course in connection with the en- 
graving meationed on p. 14S, but that to "Mr. Joseph " is enig- 
maticaJ. G. F. Joseph, R.A.. bad himself a portrait of the Duke in 
the Academy of iBiS, and be may have received a request from 
some one to maJie a copy of Beecbey's portrait. 




I 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

, in yellow «lk 6nm triauned vhh white 
Wc. iar/fi white hat with fasthera, pottng m 
on her riffiit band (canvu 56 in. bf 
40 In.), wbkh WM in the Duke of Cambridge* aale 
■t <'^ti>tie*i on June 11, 1904, lot 70, when it waa 
puivheMtd \ry Mr. Hodf^in* ; it wa* engrared by S. W. 
lUynolila uid M, Cotuin*, Marcb 8, 1824, "front the 
orijitiniil picture in the paauMion uf H.R.H. the Duke 
ot GlouCMter," and practically all the Gloucester pro- 
fierty waa ioherited by the Duke of Cambridge. ITie 
porl.rait ttt the Vice ('hancellor. Sir John Leach, 
No. ifffi, a thr(*-<)iiHrtferii, nhows bim in black coat, 
ami wa« cxhibitM] at Kouth Kennington in 1868, by 
Mr. 'Duimiui Ijiwch. The Vice Chancellor, son of a 
Iltvlfunl copfwriimith, wan bom on August 28, 
17CKJ, rnbrred thf Middle Temple in 1785, and was 
rnilrd to the IW five yearn afterwardfl ; he sat in 
Iho HuiiM) of Commons for Staford in 1806, and 
afliir lHicomin([ Vice Chancellor of England, in 1818, 
and MhrUt of the HoIIh and Deputy Speaker of the 
llonut- of IaitiIu in 1827, died on September 16, 1834, 
A atrlkitift inotnnt'e of the manner in which ability may 
trltimpli ovt'Dilwcurily of birth. Hugh Le'tceiiter, Esq., 
Nil. 57, till.* nu((li I^-ycmter, who, after being educated 
nt Kton and King'H College, (^mhridge, became Judge 
of AailMm fur ('amnrvon, Anglewa, and Merioneth, 
M.I', for Milbnmu Port, and died in Spring Gardens, 
I.<nidun, In 1836. Tliii portrait is doubtless the half- 
ImiRlii painted for Mr. Afhtoii Smith, M.P. Leycester 
iiimie an Important spNch against Whitbread's motion 



I 



iSi8-l8 



'SI 



for an impeachment of Lord Melville, although a fort- 
night afterwards he brought the matter again before 
the House of Commons by moving, as being most 
consistent with the spirit of the Constitution, "That 
the House should proceed by impeachment against 
Lord Melville, for the several matters and offences 
which appeared by the tenth report to have been com- 
mitted by him," a motion which was carried by a 
majority of twenty-three. Owen's whole-length por- 
trait of the same gentleman, in the Academy of 1817 
(No. 109), was painted for the Mayor and Corporation 
of Chester, and engi-aved by S. W. Reynolds, August 
20, 1817. Lady Stanley, No. 205, was Mary, only 
daughter and heiress of Sir Carnaby Haggerston, Bart., 
wife of Sir Thomas Stanley of Hooton (whom she 
maiTied in 1805; she died in August 1857); the 
portrait was a half-length, and a companion to the 
portrait of her husband, painted at the same time. 
No. 299 was a thi-ee -quarter portrait of James Fer- 
gusson, who died in St. James's Place, London, on 
September 6, 1 820, in his eighty-fifth year ; he was in 
the House of Commons as M.P. for Aberdeenshire 
from 1790 to the time of his death; his seat was at 
Pitfonr, near Slains Castle, " with a noble view of the 
coast from Peterliead along the shores of the Moray 
Frith." This portrait was engraved (a private plate) 
by William Ward in 1818, and shows him to half- 
figure, directed to right, facing and looking down- 
wards, and wearing a dark coat. 

The Academy of 1820 contained nearly 200 fewer 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

exhibits than that of the previous year, only five of 
the Academicians — Bone, Chantrey, Phillips, Stothard, 
and James Wai-d — availing themselves of their privilege 
of exhibiting eight works each. Lawrence had only 
five, and Beechey six. The changes in the body of the 
Academy were few but important. Sir Thomas Law- 
rence had succeeded the venerable Benjamin West as 
President; Edward Bird, R.A., died in 1819, and 
William Hilton had taken his plaee. Among the 
Associates the names of Washington Allston, "of 
Boston, North America," and John Constable appeared 
for the first time, whilst William Collins and Abraham 
Cooper were " R.A. Elect." Beechey's only royal por- 
trait this year was that of the Duke of Kent, No. 82, 
which does not seem to be entered in the Account Book, 
but his son George Beechey sent one of the Duke of 
Gloucester. Ladj/ De La Warr, No. 23, was Lady 
Elizabeth Sackville, younger daughter and co-heir of 
John, third Duke of Dorset ; she was born on August 
ii| 1795. man-ied, June 21, 1813, George John, Ear] 
De La Warr, was created Baroness Buckhurst on April 
27, 1864, and died January 9, 1870. She had been 
painted as a little child in a beautiful group with her 
brother and sister, by John Hoppner, and this picture 
is now at Knole. Beechey's portrait of her shows 
nearly the whole figure (50 in. by 40 in.), technically a 
whole-length on a half-length canvas, seated near a 
column, in dark low-cut dress, with white muslin 
sleeves, dark hair, and long pearl necklace ; a group of 
trees is seen in the distance to right. The picture 



I8i8-i8 



153 



was until lately in the possession of the present Earl, 
and has been acquired by Messrs. Dowdeswell and 
Dowdeswell ; it is signed and dated, " W, B., 1822," 
The post-dating is probably explained by the fact 
that the portrait was returned to the artist for the 
purpose of making some slight alteration. 

Cecil Forester and Ladt/ Kaikerine Forester, Nos. 100 
and 198, two whole lengths, were husband and wife ; the 
former wa.s Cecil Weld Forester,* who inherited the 
Shropshire estates of his uncle Brooke Forester, and was 
elevated to the peerage as Baron Forester of Willy 
Park, CO. Salop, on July 17, 1821 ; he mamed on 
June 16, 1800, Katherine Mary, second daughter of 
Charles, fourth Duke of Rutland, and died in 1828; 
I^ady Katherine survived her husband only a few 
months, dying on March 10, 1829. Ladj/ Hariett 
Clive, No. 346, a three-quarters, the youngest daughter 
of Other Hickman Windsor, fifth Eail of Plymouth ; 
she was born on July 30, 1797, and married, June ig, 
1819, the Hon. Robert Henry Clive, the second son of 
Edwai'd, Earl of Powis, and succeeded to the Barony 

■ Cecil Forester was one of the niembers for Wenlock, Shrop- 
shire. " rbia gentleman." says the author of a curiously iatecestiog 
little work, " Memoirs of Emineut English Statesmen," 1S06, "is 
said lo possess a rooieiy of the properly of this borough, which is 
the first that ever sent Membei^ (o Parliameni by virtue of a Charter 
from the Crown (Jcm/.Edur. IV., 147S), and he now sits for the third 
lime in Parliament. Iq 1803 Mr. F. voted in favour of Mr. 
Calcrafl's motion for going into a committee on the establishment 
of the Prince of Wales ; which question was lost by a minority of 
45. We believe that Che Member for Wenlock has never yet 
■pohea in the House." 



154 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



of Windsor in October 1855 ; she sat to Beechey just 
before her marriage, and died on November 9, i86g. 
This year's exhibition included Henry Bone's enamel 
of " His late Mtyesty, after a picture by Sir W. 
Beechey, R.A., in the late Lord Somervi lie's collection, 
in which the horse is painted by J. Ward, Esq., R.A." 
(No. 490). Probably the picture of the year, taking 
popularity as a criterion, was Wilkie's Tlie Reading 
of the Will, inspired by a passage in " Waverley," and 
this was bought for the Royal Gallery at Munich. 

At the 1821 Academy Beechey had only five exhibits, 
and of these one was a fancy subject. The Bird's Nest, 
No. 90, and another, which to some extent falls into the 
same category, a Portrait of a Lady in the character of 
Una, No. 34. The identity of the latter is revealed in the 
Account Book, in which we have two entries concerning 
the payment by Mrs. Meyrick for the portrait of Miss 
Fuller as Una; the price of 170 guineas was Beechey's 
charge for a Bishop's half-length canvas containing the 
whole figure. This Miss Fuller was one of the daughters 
of Augustus Elliot Fuller, Esq. of Rosehill, Waldron, 
whose eldest son succeeded to the Meyrick estates in 
Anglesey, and this portrait is| probably now at the 
family seat at Bodorgan. The Hjigh Leicester, No. 334 
of this year, is obviously intended for Hugh Leycester, 
of whom a portrait was exhibited two yeai-s previously, 
as already mentioned. Beechey painted three portraits 
of Licycester in 1819-20 ; the first was a half-length for 
Mr. Ashton Smith, 1819, and was doubtless the portrait 
exhibited in that year; the second was another half- 



I8I8-I838 



"55 



length for the Marquess of Anglesea and paid for in 
November i8i9;and the third was a three-quarters, and 
paid for by himself in February 1820. One of these 
three portraits — it is not certain which — was engraved 
by Charles Turner in mezzotint and published on 
February i, 1822: this print shows the figure to half 
length, wearing a dark coat buttoned, with large lappels 
and broad collar, white neckerchief, scanty grey hair, 
curtain background. A gentleman who has not been 
identified, and one, a three-quarters, of the Earl of 
Ailesbury (Charles Bruce, second Earl, bom Februaiy 
14. 1773, succeeded his father in 1814, created Marquess 
of Ailesbury July 17, 1821, and died January 4, 1856), 
conclude Beechey's exhibits of this year, which obviously 
was an unimportant one for him. As an exhibition the 
Academy of this year appears to have been a remarkable 
success. "The fifty-third exhibition of the Royal 
Academy " (says one of the newspapers of this time) 
" closed on Saturday last. The money paid at the doors 
since the opening this year has exceeded that of any 
former exhibition by at least one thousand pounds." 
If Beechey himself was represented by fewer works than 
usual, the numbers were at all events kept up to the 
average by his son George, who had three portraits 
hung: those of J, Tullock Osborn, the Countess of 
Waldegrave, and the Karl of Sheffield, all of which are 
probably now ascribed to his much greater father. 

By the time of the opening of the 1822 Academy 
various changes had taken place. E, H. Baily, Richard 
Cosway, and Joseph Farington no longer appear in the 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

list of R.A.s, and Richard Cook is the only new name 
whilst C. R. Leslie and George Clint were elected to fill 
up vacancies in the body of Associates. Beeehey's 
exhibits this year were again only five in number, but 
one of these was of more than ordinary importance ; it 
was a picture of H.R.H. the Ducheai of Kent ond the 
Princess Alexavdrina Victoria, No, 66. The Duchess 
was the daughter of H.S.H, Francis Duke of Saxe- 
Coburg-Saalfield, was bom in 1786, married on July 
II, 181S Edwai-d Duke of Kent, fourth son of 
George III. and died on March 16, 1861. The Princess 
(born in i8ig, ascended the throne in 1837, and died in 
1901) was afterwards Queen Victoria. The full descrip- 
tion of this interesting work is as follows: Three-quarter 
length life-size of the Duchess seated to right o n a sofa 
black dress ; book in right hand, left arm encii^les the 
Princess, in white dress and blue sash and standing on 
the sofa, facing and holding a miniature of the Duke in 
her hands ; architectural and landscape background ; 
canvas 56 by 44. This picture was the property of the 
King of Belgium, and was given by him to Queen 
Victoria, who lent it to this exhibition at South 
Kensington, 1868, and to the Victoria Exhibition of 
1891-2, whenit figured as No. i. It is now at Windsor, 
and was etched by W. SkeJton, whose rendering of it 
has frequently been repeated, e.g., in Karslake's series 
of "Twelve Portraits of Her Majesty," 1897. An 
enamel of it ( 10^ in. by %\ in.) by H. Bone was exhibited 
at the Royal Academy of 1824, No. 432. An interesting 
letter concerning this picture is now the property of 



1838 



157 



Mr, Ernest Beechey. Captain Conroy, writing from 
Kensington Palace on May 22, 1821, is " commanded 
by the Duchess of Kent to return him Her Royal High- 
aess's best thanks for his letter of yesterday" and to say 
that "on Monday next at one o'clock H.R.H, will be 
ready to receive Sir William ; the Duchess regrets being 
obliged to delay it to that day, but at this moment the 
Princess Victoria has a slight cold." Beechey received 
210 guineas for this picture, which is painted on a 
Bishop's half-length canvas. 

The Rev. Dr. Pigot, who figures first (No, 27) among 
Beechey's exhibits of 1822, was William Foster Pigott, 
of Abingdon Pigotts, Cambridgeshire, a D.D. and F.A.S., 
who was appointed chaplain to the King in 1793, was 
rector of Mereworth, Kent, and Clewer, Bucks ; he died 
at Mereworth on Februarys, 1827, aged seventy-nine years. 
This portrait was engraved by William Ward A.R.A., 
and shows Dr. Pigott to half figure, facing towards and 
looking to front ; the engraving was exhibited at the 
Academy of the year following that in which the 
portrait appeared (No. 483). The picture, a three- 
quarters, was painted several years before it was 
exhibited^ the two payments being entered in October- 
November 1816. Sir Alexander Cochrane, No. 95, was 
the distinguished naval officer, a younger son of the 
eighth Earl of Dundonald ; bom in 1758, he entered 
the navy and served in the West Indies 1780-2, in 
1804 he was promoted to rear-admiral, to K.B, in 1806, 
admiral 1819, was commander-in-chief at Portsmouth 
in 1821, and died in 1832. An engraving of this por- 



trait, done by Charles Turner for Captain Brenton's 
" Naval History," August 1824, shows the admiral at 
half-figure, directed to right, looking at spectator, in 
naval uniform with Order and sash, no hat, left hand 
resting in waistcoat ; the original or a replica was in 
the Beechey sale at Christie's, June 11, 1836, lot 37, 
and realised 17 guineas. 

Sir John Beresford, No. 238, was another distinguished 
naval officer {bom in 1766, and died October 2, 1844), 
Vice-Admiral of the White, K.C.B., G.C.H., &c., and 
was created a baronet on May 21, 1814. The mezzotint 
engraving by Thomas Hodgetts, February 1828, shows 
the Admiral to half-figure, directed to front and looking 
up to left, in uniform with sash, and various orders and 
decorations, no hat. A replica ("a head," or three- 
quai-ters, i.e., about 30 in. by 25 in.) was in the 
Beechey sale of 1836, when it was bought in at seven 
guineas; it was subse<juently offered in the sale at 
Rainy's in July 1839, when it found a purchaser at 
thirteen shillings. 

Beresford portraits form a somewhat conflicting 
chapter in Beechey "s career. The portrait justdescribed 
was probably that for which Sir John Beresford paid 
£y$ in 1822. In 1814, Beechey painted for Sir John 
Beresford a whole-length portrait of Lady Beresford 
and Child ; but this lady could not have been the first 
wife of the famous vice-admiral, as she died in July 
1813, and he did not again marry until August 17, 
1815. In 1817, he painted a three-quarter canvas of 
Captain Beresford and Sisters, and the identity of these 
is unsettled. The engraved picture known as Adoration 



I 



•:•• 



I8I8-I838 



1 59 



is said to be an idealised portrait of Miss Georgina 
Beresford. Lord Grantley has, at one of his country 
houses, a small picture of Miss Beresfoixl, in Empire 
dress, whilst a portrait of Miss Elizabeth Beresford, 
afterwards Mrs. Ladbroke, was exhibited at the 
Academy of 1836, and will be duly referred to. In 
addition to all these, the following letter {in Mr. Ernest 
Beechey's collection) deals apparently with portraits 
which are not entered in the Account Books : 

•■ Halifjix, Nova Scotia, Oclaber 10, 1819. 

" Dkaii Sir, — I am induced to trouble you with a 
few lines in consequence of the following paragraph 
extracted from a letter lately received by Mrs. Beres- 
ford. ' Mrs. Knight asked me if Mr. Gilby had ever 
received the portraits, as Sir W. Beeehey had heard 
nothing from any one since they were sent, and has not 
been paid.' 

" I feel assui-ed that it is unnecessai^ for me to enter 
into any fuller explanation on this subject than to 
request that, however this mistake may have originated, 
you will have the goodness to have it removed, and I 
will beg the favour of you to address a line to him also. 
The safe arrival of the portraits in Yorkshire would 
have been communicated, had not Miss Coltman long 
ago written us word that she had made you acquainted 
with their having been i-eceived at Beverley and highly 
esteemed. 

" Mrs. B. desires I will present her best compliments. 
" I remain, dear sir, yours truly, 
" W. Beuesfoud 
(Lt.-Col. aad Deputy Quarlermastet'-Geii.] 



I 




i6o SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

Beecbey's last picture of the 1822 Exhibition, No. 
288, was " Vejitts aiid Ciyjit/— Cupid having lost his 
arrows, etc., at dice with Ganymede, is reproved by 
Venus — see ' Prior's Poems.' " The artist, as we have 
seen, exhibited three pictures of " Venus and Cupid " at 
the British Institution, i8o6-i8ii ; and this picture of 
1822 is probably another version of that which he sent 
to the British Institution of 1824, No. 50, with the 
slightly altered title of Veniu chidhig Cupid Jar having 
lost his bow and arrows rvUh Ganynude, at hazard (from 
Prior's " Cupid and Ganymede," p. 75), The size of the 
picture is there given as 42 in. by 36 in. This is 
probably the picture now at Pet worth (" Catalogue of 
Pictures at Petworth," 1856, No. 58), Lord LeconfieWa 
seat, and concerning which A. A. Watts says, in " The 
Cabinet of Modern Art," 1836, p. 104 : " The Cupid 
and Psyche " \i.e., Venus and Cupid] in the same gallery 
(Petworth) is perhaps one of the most graceful and 
beautifully coloured of Sir William's pictures. The 
head of Cupid was painted from the portrait of Master 
Locke, the magnificent portrait of whose aged mother, 
by Lawrence, attracted so much attention in the 
exhibition of the Royal Academy two or three years 
ago [i.e., 1829]." Oneofthechief art events of 1822 was 
the knighthood, conferred on August 29 by George IV., 
of Raebum, President of the Scottish Academy and first 
portrait- painter to the King in Scotland. Beecbey sent 
him his congratulations, and the following letter is an 
acknowledgment : 



I8I8-I838 



i6i 



" Edinborsh, 5i^(, 7, iSzi. 
"My deak Sir, — Yesterday I had the pleasure of 
your kind letter, and do assure you that the hearty con- 
gratulations of my friends, among whom I have much 
reason to rank Sir W. Beechey, have not been less 
acceptable to me than the honour which His Majesty 
has been pleased to confer upon me. Accept my best 
thanks for your kind wishes, and allow me to add that 
I have never forgotten the liberal manner in which you 
were pleased to talk of any little merit I may possess, 
even long before I had the pleasure of knowing you 
and also since has reached my ears from different 
quarters. But this is just what I would expect from 
Sir W. B.— an able artist himself and far above that 
little jealousy which sometimes enters into the feelings 
of artists of inferior note. I need not say that you 
have always had my best word and my best wishes in 
the fullest sense of the word. Our ftiend Wilkie is 
here — to whom I have sent your letter ; he leaves this 
[place] to-day and by him I send this letter. 
"Ever yours, 

*' HeNBV RAESnRN." 



Of Beechey's seven portrtiits in the Royal Academy 
of 1823, the names of only two are known, both of 
which are given in the catalogue, \o. 29, Mr. Symmona, 
and No. 439, Mr. Ward. The latter was John Ward, 
an attorney (1756-1839), The picture was engraved 
" at the expense of his friends by Henry Meyer from a 
painting by Sir W. Beechey, R. A." (size 5 J in. by 4J in.). 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



■ected to ^^H 



and shows half figure of an elderly man directed 
right, looking at spectator, dark coat buttoned, white 
waistcoat and frill, with hair thin and grey. The 
original picture was a three-quarters, as a companion to 
one of Mrs. Ward, painted at the same time. In 1825 
a Mr. Ward again appears in the Account Book, this 
time for a Kit-Cat sine portrait ; there is, however, 
nothing to suggest that the two Mr. Wards were one 
and the same person, ITie " Mr. Symmons " waa 
probably John Symmons (1781-1842), a distinguished 
classical scholar and translator, son of Charles Symmons, 
the biographer of Milton, whose portrait by Beechey 
was in the Academy of 1794; this portrait of 1823 
does not appear in the Account Book. 

The Academy of this year was in many ways an 
interesting one, Nollekens the sculptor was dead, and 
a portrait painter of great talent, Henry W. Pickersgill, 
was the new Associate. Lawrence's exhibits included 
the portraits of the Earl of Harewood, the Archbishop 
of York (the Hon. Edward Venables Vernon), Sir 
William Knighton — the first and third have been 
engraved — the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Van- 
sittart, and the Countess of Jersey. There were also 
Wilkie's portrait of the Duke of York and his " Parish 
Beadle " ; Lonsdale's portrait of W. Roscoe, Northcote's 
*' Miraculous Draught of Fishes," and Joseph's portrait 
of T. Bayley, the poet. 

Of the six exhibits of the following year (1824), 
again the identities of only two are known — Sir George 
Cockbum, K.G., C.B., So. 64, and T. Lowndes, Esg., 




No. 124. The former, like two of the ufficei'S whose 
portraits were in the 1822 Academy, was a distinguished 
Hftval man, and was both Admiral of the Fleet and 
Major- General of Marines, He was bom on April 22, 
1772, made a K.C.B. in 1815, and conveyed Napoleon 
to St. Helena, of which place he was Governor, 181 5-16 ; 
he succeeded his brother as eighth baronet in 1852, and 
died on August 19, 1853. Iliis portrait,a whole length, 
was presented to Greenwich Hospital by Sir James J. 
Hamilton, Burt., in 1876, Thomas Lowndes, a wealthy 
London merchant, who died at Macclesfield on November 
13, 1835, aged 68, was a generous patron of Beechey, 
who in 1S23 not only painted the above whole length, 
but also one of Lowndes' father, and in 1824 one of his 
daughtei-s. Miss Lowndes, the Lowndes payments 
amounting to ^546, in addition to "a present to Sir 
William " of 50 guineas in December 1823. These 
portraits have not been traced. 

With one exception {No. in, Portiait of a Lady) 
the names of Beechey's six exhibits of 1825 were stated 
in the catalogue, and nearly all were well-known people. 
Elinha Dehagite (No. 7) was the town clerk of Norwich, 
where he was bom on May 16, 1755; he died on 
November 11, 1836, and this portrait, painted " at the 
request of his friends, and paid for by public sub- 
scription," is referred to in the obituary notice of 
Dehague in the Gentleman's Magazine of December 
1826. The Lady and Daughter of Sir R. P. 
Jodrell, Bart. (No. 92), were Amelia Caroline King, 
whom Sir Hichard married ou December iz, 1814 (she 



164 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



i 



died on January 18, i860), and her only daughter, 
Amelia Vertue, who married in July 1842 Chai-les 
Fitzgerald Higgins, of Waterloo Park, co. Mayo ; from 
the two payments of 125 guineas each in 1824 and 
1825 this pictm-e would be a whole length. No. 97 
was the fourth portrait of the Duke of Gloucester, 
which the artist had exhibited at the Royal Academj 
witliin the space of eighteen years, and it is probably 
the one (three-quarters length to right, in robes with 
the collar and George) which W, Say engraved in mezzo- 
tint in January 1826. No. I94 was Philip Meadoum . 
Martineau (1752-1829), surgeon to the Norfolk and 
Norwich Hospital; it was engraved by Lupton, but 
the engraving has become scarce, and no example 
of it is in the Print Room of the British Museum. 
Another distinguished native of Norfolk figured under 
No. 283, Charles Saz'iU Onlty, third son of Robert 
Harvey, Mayor of Norwich ; he was a barrister, Rs- J 
corder of Norwich, chairman of the Norfolk County I 
Sessions, M.P. for Norwich in 1812, and twice for j 
Carlow. In 181 2 he took the suniame of SaviU 1 
Onley, his mother's maiden name ; he died on August ] 
21, 1843. This portrait is now the property of J 
Colonel Unthank of Intwood Hall, Norwich (Mrs. 1 
Unthank is a granddaughter of Mr. Savill Onley), andl 
shows the subject seated at a table with the draft of a 
Parliamentary Bill in his hand, on which is the date 
" 1 1 March 1825 " ; the canvas is 50 in. by 40 ii 
may here mention a second Beechey portiait in C 
Unthank's collection, viz., a portrait of his moth 



I8I8-I838 



i6j 



Mariau Muskett, onl^ daughter of Joseph S. Muskett, 
of Intwood Hall, Norwkh, and wife of Clement Un- 
thniik ; she is painted as a girl of thirteen years of age, 
in white dress with blue sash and coral netklafc, holding 
in her lap a little pet spaniel : the canvas is 30 in. by 
24 in. As Dehague, Martineau and Onley were Norwich 
men, it will be seen that Beechey sLill kept in active 
touch with the city which had for him so many early 
associations and ties. This is, curiously enough, con- 
firmed by the entry in the Account Book, March 1 2, 
1825, in which it is stated that the first instalment 
for the Onley portrait was paid at Norwich ; the por- 
trait was a half length. 

Three of the five exhibits of 1826 (two were portraits 
"of a lady") were of eminent men. The Rtv. Dr. 
Martin Dtivy, D.D., F.J .S., F.R.S,'So. 85 (whose por- 
trait is at Heacham Lodge, Norfolk), was a pbyaician 
and Master of Caius College, Cambridge, from 1803 to 
1839, the year of his death, Prebendary of Chichester, 
and Vice Chancellor of the University in 1803 and 
1827; he was bom in 1763. Sir George Nailer, 
A'.T.. K.G.H., K.T.S. (No. 104), was distinguished in 
another manner, being one of tlie most eminent 
genealogists of his time, holding in this respect many 
high appointments; he was bom about 1764, knighted 
in 1813, and died in 1831, after commencing 
a sumptuous work on " The Coronation of King 
George IV.," 1824. The Bcechey poi-trait was engraved 
by E. Scriven ("a private plate," according to Evans), 
and the engraving shows the subject to half length 



L 



r 




L 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

directed to right, looking to front, and wearing three 
decorations; the plate measures i6y'y in. b_v 12J in. 
An enamel of the portrait by J. Lee was exhibited at 
the Royal Academy of 1843, No. 494. Sir John 
Doiigla$ Astlcy, Bart., M.P. (No. 131, a Bishop's half 
length), of Enerley, Wilts, was bom June 27, 1778, 
created a baronet in August 182 1, and died January 19, 
1842. His grandson was the famous sporting baronet, 
Sir John Dugdale Astley. 

With the 1822 Academy Sir William Beetrhey began 
to again exhibit an occasional fancy picture ; his tirst 
exhibit of this year, No. 86, /.ilian, was inspired by a 
passage in the " L,ord of the Bright City," p. 73. 

" Up the maiden gaz'd. 
Smiling a pale and terrified delight. 
And seem'd for that lov'd warbler in her breast 
Beseeching mercy." 

There were only two named portraits (the third was a 
portrait of a gentleman) in this year's exhibition, 
No. 152 was of Captain Charles Marsh Schombtrg, 
R.N., who was bom in 1779, and who served in the 
Minaiimr at the battle of the Nile, and in the 
Foudroyant in Egy|>t ; he was promoted captain in 
1803, and was in command of the frigate squadron 
which fought a squadron of French frigates off the 
coast of Madagascar, February 20, 1811; appointed 
commander-in-chief at the Cape of Good Hope in 1832, 
he was made K.C.H. in the same year, and died in 1835. 
This portrait was lent to the Naval Exhibition of 1891, 



No. 590, by General G. A. Schoniberg, C,B. ; a study 
for, or a replica of, it was in the Beechey SaJe at 
Christie's, June 11, 1836,10141, when it was bought 
in at ^6 i6s. The second portrait was of Major 
Henry Dundaa Campbell, of the 8th Regiment of 
Dragoons (Hussars), and now belongs to his nephew. 
Captain Corse Scott, of Highfields, Southampton. 

The 1828 Academy included two portraits of distinctly 
personal interest. The first of these (No. 11) earned 
the fancy title of The Little Gleaner, and was of the 
artist's daughter Anna Dodsworth Beechey ; it had 
been painted some twenty years before it was exhibited, 
and a deseription of it, with some interesting particulars, 
will be found further on in the chapter dealing with 
the Beechey family and their portraits. No. 60 was of 
Ijtrd Grantley (Fletcher Norton, third Baron), who had 
three years previously mairied Sir William's daughter 
Charlotte ; Lord Grantley's portrait is a whole length, 
in robes. Beechey had painted the first baron (1716- 
1789), the eminent lawyer who was elected Speaker of 
the House of Commons in 1769; this portrait, a three- 
quarter length, seated, profile to right in Speaker's 
robes (canvas 56^ in. by 44 in.), was an early worlc, and 
was lent to the South Kensington Museum in 1786, 
No, 638, by his nephew, the third baron, Beechey 's son- 
in-law. The Bishop of Bath and Welh (No. 146) was 
Dr. George Henry Law, of whom Beechey e^ihibited 
another portrait at the Academy of 1816. Another dis- 
tinguished churchman of the 1828 Academy was i>r.yoftn 
iMmb (1789-1850), D.D., who was educated at Corpus 





Chmti College, Cambridge, of which he was master from 
1822 to 1850, and of which college he wrote a contioua- 
tion to Masters's " History " ; the portrait is now at the 
Master's Lodge of the College. A portrait of an 
officer (No. 51), one of J Lady of Q»udUy (No. 87), 
and one as Fhra — one of at least two painted as such 
— conclude the 1828 exhibits. The laat of these may 
have been a portrait of Julia, daughter of the Hon. 
William Wyndham, and wife of Richard Haster, Esq., 
of Aldingboume, Sussex (whom she married in April 
1830); if so, it must be identical with the portrait oi 
Mrs. Haster as Fhra now at Petworth, Lord Leconfield's 
seat. 

Four portraits and a fancy subject formed the artist's 
exhibits at the 1829 Academy, at which, it may be 
mentioned, Etty first appears as a fully-Hedged 
Academician and G. S. Newton as an A.R.A. Captain 
Usher, No. 15, was doubtless one of the several otticers 
of this name who figure in the Army Lists of the period 
but his exact identity remains unsolved. 

No. 43 had for its title The Lady in St. SmtkirCa 
Chair, from the first volume of " Waverley," with the 
following lines : 

" Ib it the moody ow) that ihrieks ? 
Or ia it that sound betwixt laughter and scream 
The voice of the demon who haunts the stream ? 

The lady in the picture is the Hon. Mrs. Norton, the 
Sappho of her day, the " B^Ton of modem poetesses," 
the fairest of the " Three Graces,'" as the three 



i 



1818-1838 i69 

daughters of Thomas Sheridan were called. Mrs. 
Norton's career is too well known to be entered into 
here. It may, however, be mentioned that she maixied 
(July 30, 1822) George Chappie Norton, a barrister, 
and a "selfish, worthless, indolent sensualist;" he was 
the younger brother of the second Baron Grantley, 
who, dying without issue, was succeeded by his nephew, 
the eldest son (the husband of Beechey'a daughter) 
of the talented Mrs. Norton. The picture belongs 
to Lord Grantley, and is thus described in the 
Gentlemati's Magazine of June 1829, p. 539: "It 
represents a lady attired in a white under di-ess, with 
robe of yellow, and a black bodice, leaning on one side 
of the stone chair and looking with stifled fear and 
forced courage to the spot whence the sound comes. In 
her hand she holds a tTUcifix, and her brows are 
admirably drawn together. In the air appears the 
Spirit of the Stream — one of the Macbeth tribe of 
witches, with haggard face, ferret eyes, hootl and wan." 
A picture with the same title but with another quotation 
was exhibited by Beechey at the British Institution in 
1830, No. 52, the size being given as 114 in. by 76 in. 
The two exhibits were, it may be assumed, the same 
picture. Charles Dumergiie, Juii,, Esq. {No. 2o8\ 
was the son and namesake of an eminent surgeon who 
practised in New Bond Street, London, in 1790, and 
who removed to Albemarle Street in 1818, where be 
i-einained for many years — either the father or the son 
was there in 1831, according to Boyle's " Court Guide." 
The portrait of E. H. Baily, R.A., No. 301— the 




sculptor, born at Bristol, 1788, studied under Flaxman, 
elected A.R.A. in 1817 and R.A. 1821, died May , 
22, 1867 — was a complimentary one, Baily's bust of 
Beechey having been exhibited at the Academy of 1826, 
No. 1095; the portraits were doubtless exchanged, and 
Baily's bust of Beechey is now the property of the 
artist's great - gi-anddaughter, Mrs. Conimeline, of 
Beacon sfi eld Rectory, Bucks. Beechey "s portrait of 1 
Baily was engraved as a private plate. The Rev. \ 
Charles Este, whose portrait (No. 444) was the last of 
the Beechey exhibits of 1829, was, there can be little or 
no doubt, a cleric who, like " Parson Bate," combined 
the two callings of church and journalism ; he was one 
of the reading chaplains at the Chape! Royal, White- 
hall, and a contributor to both The Mo/wng PoH 
and The World (which he edited for a time); he wrote 
"My Own Life," 1787, a "Journal' of his traveb 
on the Continent in 1793, and died in 1829, at the age ^ 
of 76. 

I'he 1 829 Academy was the last at which Sir Thomas 
Lawrence acted as President, and his death on January 
7, 1830, involved the election of a new President, 
the ballot showing the following result: — Shec, 18; 
Beechey, 6 ; Wilkie, 2 ; Phillips, i ; Callcott, I. 
(C. R. Leslie, " Autobiographical Recollections, i860, 
vol. t. p. 18). Beechey would have made an admirable 
President, but his advanced years were against him, 
and so his younger rival and friend was elected to the 
highest distinction possible in the world of £n^]ish art. 

Two of Beechey's seven pictures in the 1830 J 



L 



i8i8-i 




Exhibition were anonymous ones of gentlemen whose 
names have not been obtained. No. 40 was Psyche, 
which, with other compositions of the same name, 
are dealt with together on pp. 84-5. The Duke of 
Somerset, No. 47, was Edward Adolphus, eleventh 
duke (he was born in 1775, succeeded to the title in 
1793, and died in August, 1855), and the portrait was 
an " extra whole length," in robes ; a replica of it 
was ill the Beechey sale at Christie's, June 11, 1836, 
when it was bought in at 18 guineas; at the sale at 
Rainy s on July 19, 1839, lot 32, it was "passed," 
ITie Bishop of Ely (No. 156) was Bowyer Edward Sparke 
( 1 760-1 839), I^ean of Bristol and Bishop of Chester in 
1809, and of Ely in 1812 ; this picture was engraved in 
mezzotint by G. H. Phillips, and published in June 
1829, nearly twelve months before it was exhibited, 
and may lie the Bishop's half-length of Dr. Sparke, 
which appears in the Account Book under the dates 
March g, 1815, and January 1, 1817. The engraving 
shows the Bishop to neaily whole length, seated, in 
robes and wig, directed to left, looking at spectator, 
right hand on top of folio volnme which lests on his 
knee; landscape and pillar Imckground. Bishop Sparke 
was a Cambridge man, and so also was Beechey's No. 
193, Joshua Kingy Esq., Fellow of Queen's College, 
Cambridge ; this portrait was " presented by the 
undergraduates of that College to be placed in their 
hall." King was President of the College 1832-57. 
No. 232, The Lute Chicheky Piowden, Esq., was Richai-d 



I 



Chichele Piowden, of Ewhurst Paik, i 



!■ Basingstoke, 



1818-1838 



t73 



it was hung at the Academy ; the engraving, of which 
there were two plates, one whole-length, standing, 
facing front, pearls in hair, pearl brooch at bosom, 
black velvet dreas, long lace scarf, and the other with 
the Queen to waist; the latter plate is dated 1834, and 
both are described in Mr. Whitman's admirable mono- 
graph on S. W. Reynolds, In 1834 Luptoii engraved 
a portrait in mezzotint of the Queen after Beechey, 
half-figure, in dark velvet dress cut low, with broad 
white muslin collar, four rows of pearls in her hair, and 
long necklace. Beechey doubtless painted a number of 
replicas, probably with variations both in details and in 
sizes of the whole length, of which « full-sized duplicate 
of the whole-length, " in blue velvet dress, holding a 
bouquet," was bought in at the Beechey sale at 
Christie's on June i r, 1 836 ; at the sale at Rainy's in 
1839 it sold for 10 guineas. WiU'mm F. Norton, Esq., 
No. 127 in the Academy of 1831, was doubtless William 
Fletcher Norton, a neighbour of the artist, with a town 
house at 66 Hartey Street, and a country one at Elton, 
near Bingham, Notts : the name suggests that he was 
a relative of the Grantlcy family. The Late Lord 
MayfTTy No. 177, was John Crowder, whose year of 
office {1830) seems to have been one of an uneventful 
character, since he is not even so much as mentioned in 
Walford's " Old and New London," 

In addition to the portrait, already mentioned, of the 
King {William IV.), Beechey's five exhibits at the 1832 
Academy included a companion pair of portraits (Nos. 
87 and 216) of ViscomUeaa Hood and Visanmt Hood. 



174 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 





The Viscount Hood at this date was Heiir>, second 
Viscount (1753-1836), who succeeded to his father's 
dignities in January 1816 ; his wife, whom he married 
in 1774, was Jane, daughter and heir of Francis 
Wheler of Whitley, and died on December 6, 1847. 
S. B. Mash, Esq., No. 254, was probably identical with 
the T. B. Mash of the Lord Chamberlain's Office, 
Stable Yard, St. James's, mentioned in Boyle's " Court 
Guide" of 1831 ; and No. 476, Dr. Arkbumc, may 
have been intended for Dr. Ashbunier, of 5 Wimpole 
Street. 

Beecheyhad only two pictures in the 1833 AcademVt 
the third one of TTic JChiff (No, 71), and one of 
the Bishop ofChkhester (No. 213), Dr. Edward Maltby 
(1770-1859). The latter portrait is a three-quarter 
length to left, standing, in robes, a book in his left 
hand and his glasses in his right, on canvas 56 in. by 
44 in., signed with the artist's initials, " W. B.," and 
date " 1 832 " ; it was exhibited at South Kensington in 
1868, No. 429, by the Bi-shop of Durham, and was 
engraved in mezzotint by T. Lupton in September 1834. 
A portrait of George Maltby, father of the Bishop, and 
painted in 1785, is at the Durham University. In 1833 
Beechey also exhibited at the British Institution a 
fancy picture which he called A Sketch from Nature 
(34 in. by 27 in.), which represented, according to the 
Gentleman's Magazine, "a gipsy encampment," and 
was " painted with much interest and truth. It is a new 
line for the pencil of the veteran artist, and the essay is 
A very successful one." 



i 




1818-1838 I7S 

The first of the five pottraits of 1834 was No. 20, 
Miss Home, daughter of Sir William Home (1774- 
1860), Attorney- General to Qneen Adelaide, Solicitor- 
General, knighted in 1830, and Master in Chancery 
1839-52. Sir William Home was a neighbour of the 
artist, living at 49 Upper Harley Street, Writing to 
the artist's son, the Rev. St. Vincent Beechey, at Hilgay 
Rectory, near Downham, on March 15 [1834]. " C. H." 
says : " I had the pleasure, a little while since, of seeing 
Sir W. Beechey in apparent good health and spirits ; 
he was painting a very nice portrait of the present 
Attorney -Gen eral's daughter. Miss Home, and seemed 
to be enjoving his employment in all possible comfort, 
by the drawing-room fire, and as earnest in the business 
as if he were only bordering on 30, instead of 80. We 
have not, as yet, had the pleasure of seeing either him or 
Lady Beecheyat dinner, but they promise as soon as Sir 
Wm.is more decidedly recovered they wilt give us a day." 
Nos. 87 and 308 of the same Academy were portraits 
respectively of Miss Wilkins and Archdeacon WUhins 
The archdeacon was George Wilkins {1785-1865), 
younger brother of the well-known ai-chitect, William 
Wilkins, R. A., the friend of Beechey ; he was educated 
at Caius College, Cambridge, and was appointed Arch- 
deacon of Nottingham in 1832. Miss Wilkins was 
doubtless his daughter- As far back as 1813 Beechey 
had painted a half-length portrait of William Wilkins 
(1778-1839), and this is now the property of the 
architect's great grandson, the Rev, W. H, Wilkins, of 
St, Silas' Vicarage, Penton Street, London, In 1816 



176 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



Beechey made a copy of this portrait for Mr. Wilkir 
and in 1824 he made "a copy of Mrs, Wilkins and 
child for his [i.e., William Wilkins's] sister. Mrt. 
Harkness, No. 162, remains for the present unidentified 
beyond the name. 

With one exception (No. 323, Girts Head) the six 
exhibits are named ones. No. 67 was Mrs. Herbert 
N. Evaivt; No. 160 of Sir Charles Scudainore ('779- 
1849), physician to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Gotha, 
knighted in 1829, and the author of medical worlis. 
Miis Emma Robarts was pi-obably Emma Roberts 
(No. 3o8), the authoress, who died in [840, and who 
wrote a numbei- of works on India, where she for a time 
resided. No. 370 was the artist's own daughter, Mrt. 
Imie^, to whose portrait reference will be made later on. 
Mrs. Charles Storer was No. 392. 

The first of the five Academy pictures of 1836 was 
MU» Bcrcsfurd, and this portrait is interesting from the 
fact that it was begun many years previously. It repre- 
sented Elizabeth, only daugbtei' of Marcus Beresford, 
grandson of the first Marquis of Waterford, by Frances 
Arabella, youngest daughter of Joseph, first Earl of 
Milltown. Miss Beresford married on June 26, 1827, 
Felix Ladbroke, Esq., of Headley, Sun-ey (he died 
March 14, 1840), the banker. Writingfrom Hampton 
Court on January 21, 1836, to " Dear Sir William," her 
mother. Lady Frances Beresford, says : " I quite forgot 
my dear child's picture, but I am glad to hear you are 
preparing it for the Exhibition, as there it will be seen 
by some of those who, I think, would do well to make 




J 



1818-1838 177 

it their own, Mrs. I.^broke is very much changed in 
appearance, she is extremely fat, and all vestige of 
her former self lost from that circumstance ; but what 
she was is not forgotten, and I hope the picture may 
meet with a purchaser if you fee] disposed to part 
with it when the exhibition closes. In the meantime 
you might let me know what is the value you set 
upon it — I mean the intrinsic worth of the painting." 

A Miss Wood was No. 78; Dr. Southey, M.A., 
No. 219, was Henry Herbert Sonthey (1783-1865), 
younger brother of Robert Southey, the poet ; he be- 
came physician to George IV. in 1823, and to Queen 
Adelaide, was elected F.R.S. in 1825, and a Commis- 
sioner in Lunacy in 1836. Mr. Sandby, No. 364 (a 
member of the younger generation of artists of that 
name), and the artist's portrait of himself. No, 382, 
coHcJuded the exhibits of this year. This latter is 
probably the portrait which was " finished from life by 
John Wood," and now in the National Portrait Gallery. 

Beechey left Harley Street in 1836, and the contents 
of his studio and his collections were offered for sale at 
Christie and Man.son's on June g-ii of this year. 
He thenceforth resided with his son-in-law, Mr. Jackson, 
at Harapstead Heath, but his address in the Academy 
Catalogues of 1837 and 1838 is given as 2 Henrietta 
Street, Cavendish Square. He had four portraits in 
the 1837 Exhibition, two of " anonymous " ladies ; one 
was of The late Mr, Parke, No. 41, and he was John 
Parke (1745-1829), the oboe player, of whom Beechey 
bad exhibited a portrait at the British Aiiists, Sufiblk 





SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

Strett, 1830, No. 92; Becchey therefore mast ha*<i 
pointed two portraits of him, and one of these 1 
the Beethejf sale at Christie's in 1836, when it t 
bought is at 16 guineas; at the sale at Rainy 's i 
1839, when it was described as A Head, it failed 1 
find a purchaser. Mrs. Sharpe was No. 46 1. The last 
Academy to which Beechcy contribut«d in his lifetime 
was that of 1838, and to this he only sent one picture, 
No. 26, a portrait of The late Bishop of Madrat ; tbia _ 
was Daniel Corrie (1777-1837), who was educated at ■■ 
Cambridge, and was appointed Bengal chaplain in 1806, 
senior chaplain at Calcutta, 1817, Archdeacon of 
Calcutta 1832, and first Bishop of Madras, 1835. Sir 
William Beechey died at Hampstead on January 28, 
1839, but the Academy of that year contained one 
example of his work, a poitrait of Miss Owen . 
Psyche. 



CHAPTER VI 

THE BEECHEY FAMILY AND THEIR FRIENDS 

Sib William Beechey was the happy father of eighteen 
children, of whom twelve grew up and married. Of 
these twelve, six were boys and six girls, three of each 
being dark and three fair. In a general way, a dis- 
tinguished person's children do not come much into 
their parent's career, for they rarely carry on the family 
traditions, whether scientific, literary or artistic. With 
the Beechey family it is different Several of his 
children were distinguished in various ways, and nearly 
every one was utilised by him as a model. Portraits of 
them when children and later in life are still preserved 
in the family, and it is interesting to note that the 
artistic gift has descended to Sir William Beechey's 
grandchildren and great gi"andchildi-en. 

Both Sir William and Lady Beechey were what would 
be described to-day as great "social" lights. They 
entertained largely, and formed many friendships which 
were lasting. One of their most intimate friends was 
that fine old " sea-dog " the Earl of St. Vincent, whose 
portrait(*eep. io6), oneof many of him by Beechey — one 
of the strongest male portraits ever painted — a heud and 
shoulders, belonged until lately to the son of his god- 



k 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

child, Canon St. Vincent Beethey, at Denver, near 
Downham. Lord St. Vincent wrote some delightful 
letters to the Beecheys, and by permission of the 
owners, the late Canon Beech ey and Mr, Ernest 
Beechey, we are able to print them in cxienso. The 
first of these deals in fact with Frederick William 
Beechey (1796-1856), afterwards Rear-Admiral, who 
entered the Navy in 1806. The concluding paragraph 
of the letter is curious. The " man in embrio " for 
whom Lord St. Vincent had obviously been asked to 
stand as god-father was the late Canon St. Vincent 
Beechey, who was bom on August 7, 1806 — a few 
hours only before the letter was written many miles 
away (Canon Beechey* died on August 19, 1899, the 
last surviving son of the artist). The letter is as 
folloWB : 

" HiBBHMA, near Ushaht. Auguil S, 1S06. 
"Mydkah MADAMj^Frederick [Beechey] dined with 
me yesterday and eat double allowance, for the poor 
fellow had been sea-sick all the way out in the 
Conqueror. Mr. Jackson, son of the master attendant 
of Plymouth Dockyai-d, has the care of him below and 
my nephew, John Parker, above. Your ladyship is 
heartily welcome to my name for the man in Embrio, 

* There were Iwo Canons St. Vincent Beechey, father and ion. 
The former held the living of Hitgaj, Norfolk, and resided tbere 
until his death in 1B99 ; bis son was rector of Denver, Norfolk, at 
the lime of his death in 1905. 



THE BEECHEY FAMILY 



l8i 



and with my best wishes to you, Sir William, and the 
colony, I remain, 

" Very sincerely yours, 

" St. Vincent." 

" Sir Williftm promises well, noiis verrmut comvie il 
agirh-J" 

There are three other lettera from the same source, and 
these all show the affectionate regard in which the 
Beecheys were held by the great sea-captain. They do 
not call for comment. 

'■RocKKTTs, Afril 21, 1808. 
" Dear Sib Wii.mam, — Many thanks for your con- 
gratulations, which have not found us so well as you 
and Lady Beechey wish ; the late winter weather having 
thrown us both back, and it is yet doubtful when we 
shall be able to remove to Town ; and to avail our- 
selves of the obliging proposal to view the Exhibition 
is impossible; I will therefore thank you to withdraw 
the invitation to dine and to bestow it on some one 
more worthy of the distinction. Both Lady St. 
Vincent and myself are much concerned at the in- 
disposition of Lady Beechey, and with our best wishes 
to her, to you, and the whole colony, I always am, 
" Very sincerely y' H*"'* Servant, 

"St. Vincent." 

" RocHBTTB. May 10, 1814. 
"My DEAh Maoam, — Many thanks for your very 
obliging congratulations upon a late event. I have 
great pleasure in acquainting you that Capt. Rlcketts 




of the Veageur has writtea to me in strong term§ \ 
praise of your son Frederick, Captain Curtis ha^■iIlg 
permitted him to dine with his old captain. 

" With iny best wishes to your ladyship and the whole 
colony, believe me to be, 

" Yours very truly, 

" St. Vikcent." j 

"RocBSTTi, Octebrr tj, iSlj 
" Welcome from Paris, Johnny Adair ! 
" I heartily hope, Sir William, that the papers speak 
truth touching your luci-ative employment there. Some 
Female Friends of mine having laid me under injunction 
to sit to Mr. Nollekens for a Marble Bust, you will 
oblige me very much by accompanying him to this 
place as soon after the 15th of November as may be 
convfinient to you both, to stay as long as you and 
Mr. N. may like ; of course you will bring the neces.-ary 
implements for correcting the censured part of the 
Portrait you painted for 

" Your steady Friend, 

" St. VrNCEST. 

" My best wishes to Lady B, and her numerous 
Flock." 

We may here print a letter from Sir Thomas Law- 
rence, which shows that even when the Beecheys were no 
longer young they entertained their ^ends with what 
was apparently an annual ball. 



I 



THE BEECHEY FAMILY 

'■Rdssbll Squahh. JuHt x7, 1824. 

" Deah Lady Beechey,— I regret extremely that from 
two causes, viz., slight indisposition and the necessity 
of rising early on Wcdy. morning last, I denied myself 
the pleasure of attending your party on Tuesday- 
Remembering how pleasant the same character of Ball 
was last yeai', 1 wanted not the report of friends to add 
to my vexation for the loss of so much rational amuse- 
ment. 

" With many thanks for your remembrance of me on 
this occasion, I remain, 

" Dear Lady Beechey, 

" Most sincerely yours, 

"Thob. Lawhence." 

Sir William Beeehey's kindness to Richard Wilson is 
well known, the latter was a frequent visitor at the 
house of his fellow artist. A Mr, Field contributed 
some interesting Wilson -Beechey anecdotes to the 
Somerset Home Gazdte of August 14, 1824 {pp. 297-8). 
He says: "Sir William Beechey. as he himself has 
informed me, having on one occasion invited Wilson to 
dine; before he consented, he thus sounded his way: 
' You have some daughters, Mr. Beechey ? ' ' Yes, 
sir.' 'Well, do they draw? All the young ladies 
learn to draw now.' ' No, sir ; they are musical.' This 
was very well ; his rough honesty dreaded an exhibition 
of performances in his art, which might place him in the 
dilemma of praising untruly or condemning offen- 
sively. . , ." 

Lady Beechey was herself an artist of no mean ability. 



i84 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

but appears to have conliiicd herself chiefly to minia- 
tui-es. Since the earlier poi-tiou of this book was 
printed off, we have made an interesting discovery 
which settles a number of doubts as to Beechey's second 
marri^e discussed on pp. 7-8. The register of St. 
George's Church, Hanover Square, shows that on 
February 27, 1793, William Beeehey was married to 
Phillis Ann Jessup, " by licence,'" the witnesses being 
Paul Sandby and Abigail Jessup. Probably the " whole 
colony,'' to which the Earl of St. Vincent so frequently 
alludes, was not by the second wife, and it may be 
reasonably assumed that several of the elder children 
were by the first marriage. Lady Beeehey, as we have 
seen (p. 27) eithibited at the Royal Academy in 1787, 
before her marriage, and in 1795 to 1805; a complete list 
of these exhibits will be found in the Appendix. The 
incessant cares of a large family must have been the only 
motive which compelled her to give up a profession in 
which she had already distinguished herself. The Master 
Beeehey of 1 795 must have been either Henry or Charles 
(who died when quite young). The three Miss Beecheys 
of 1798 were Emma (afterwards Mrs, Spencer), Caroline 
(afterwards Mrs. Innes), and Harriet (afterwards Mrs. 
Riley). Her own portrait in the 1799 exhibition is 
doubtless the miniature now in the possession of her 
granddaughter(daughter of Admiral Frederick Beeehey), 
Mrs. Rfcd. The Miss A. D. Beeehey of 1804 was 
Anna Dodswoi-th, afterwards Mrs. Jackson, who wai 
bom in 1800. Tlie Miss Beeehey of 1805 would have 
been Emma, the eldest daughter. 
Mr. Sydney Chancellor's Beeehey Account Book w«b 



I 



THE BEECHEY FAMILY 



apparently utilised by Lady Beechey as well as by her 
husband, and she has there made a list of the miDia- 
tures which she painted in 1795-6, with the prices 
which she received for them. These lists are so inter- 
esting that we have no hesitation in printing them in 
full. It will be seen that Lady {or Mrs. as she was 
then) Beechey made a substantial contribution to the 
family exchequer in the first year ; the list for the 
second year is probably not complete. The entries 
which follow are thus headed : 




185 



MINIATURE PICTURES PAINTED [BY MRS. 
AFTERWARDS LADY BEECHEY] IN 1795, 
BEING THE FIRST YEAR OF MY PAINTING 
THEM 



Mr. Hicks 
Mr. CIcveley . 
Mr. Ball an ty lie 
Miss Morris 
Mrs. Boaden 
Mr. Meux 
Mr. Forin, 2 
Mrs. McCree . 
Mr. Nouverre . 
Miss ^ 

Mrs. McKenzie 
Mr. Dudding . 
Mr. Maude 
Capt. Stoevein 

Capt. 

Mrs. Grey, 2 piclure 



{>] 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



Mrs. Stephens 

Mr. Flude's friend, 2 pictures . 
Mrs. Sugg .... 
Master Ir»in .... 
Mr. Stuarts copy of Mrs. M. . 
Copy of miniature of Stuart . 


5 
14 
5 
5 
7 
5 


5 
14 
5 
5 
7 
5 










Here ends the yeaj 


137 


9 


'J 


1796. 


£ 


, 


i. 


LitUe boy for Mre. 
Mr. Gregson . 
Mr. Tracey . 
Mr. Pockington 
Miss Rous 


Rape 




5 
5 
7 
7 


5 
5 
7 
7 








Mr. Forin 






10 


10 





Mrs. Russell . 












Mrs. Osborn . 












Mrs. Chambers 












Mrs. Macree . 






5 


5 





Mrs. Wilkinson 






7 


7 











48_ 


6 


^ 



1 



The artist's wife was a great favourite of Queen 
Charlotte, who was often at 1 8 Harley Street ; she took 
a great interest in the children (one of whom was her 
god-daughter) and in their studies, and would go to the 
schoolroom and encourage them in their work. Sir 
William, too, sometimes took one or two of the 
children to play in hia studio at the Palace, and one 



I 



k 



I 



THE BEECHEY FAMILY 



187 



day when the King came in two of the children slipped 
out and found themselves in the Throne-room, and to 
their dismay heard the King and their father coming 
along, so they hid under the Royal chair. The King 
made straight for the chair and sat upon it while Sir 
William painted his portrait ; at last the poor child- 
ren got so cramped that they moved, and George III, 
jumped and said, " It's an odd thing, but I could declare 
this chair moved." Presently he felt it again and got 
up, and Sir William had ignominiously to pull his son 
George (the King's god-son) out by the leg, and his 
little sister too ; the King, being in a good humour, took 
it very good-naturedly and laughed, as the children 
were very much frightened.* 

Lady Beechey was painted several times by her 
husband, but we have traced only one of these pictures, 
and this is probably the portrait exhibited at the Royal 
Academy in 1800, No. 179, until recently in passession 
of one of her grandchildren, and now the property of 
Mr. E. G. Raphael, by whose permission it is here 
reproduced. It is a. half figure of a pretty woman, 
seated at a table directed to left, looking at the spec- 
tator nearly full face, in low-cut purplish dress with 
white crossover, broad- brimmed hat (which throws the 
forehead and eyes into the shade) bound with dark 
broad band of ribbon, left hand resting on some 
papei-s on the table, right hand holding crayon or 
brush (canvas about 30 in. by 25 in.) Lady Beechey 

s. Champion Jones, graoddaaghier of 



L 



i88 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

died in Harley Street on December 14, 1833, 
aged 69. 

Sir William Beechey painted several porti*aits of 
himself. Two of these were exhibited at the Royal 
Academy, one in 1790, No. 420, and the other in 1836, 
No. 382. The earlier one is probably that engraved in 
mezzotint by William Ward (no date) on a. plate ii^J in. 
by II in. ; it shows him to half figure in square border, 
directed slightly to left, looking to front, coat with high 
collar and buttoned across chest. Another, a bust, is 
an oval, directed to right, head tm-ned and looking at 
spectator, wig, coat with high eollar, and elaborate 
white frill neckerchief; this was engraved in stipple by 
Ridley for the Mmtthly Mirror of July 1798. Of this 
portrait Beechey probably made several replicas ; the 
original remained with its companion, the portrait of 
Lady Beechey, in |)ossession of a grandson of the artist 
until recently, when it was acquired by private treaty 
by Mr. E. G. Itaphael, by whose permission it is repro- 
duced here as the frontispiece. Another, signed with 
initials and dated, " W. B. 1799, JE. 46," shows him 
to half figure, directed to right, looking at spectators, 
dark coat, white ruffle, to right an easel with the 
design of a picture of a battleiield or manoeuvres with 
equestrian figure to right, probably intended to repre- 
sent the famous review of George III.; this was en- 
graved in stipple " from an original picture in his own 
possession" by R. Cooper on June 11, 1814, for "The 
British Gallery of Contemporary Portraits." A later 
portrait on a three-quarter canvas, showing half figure 



THE BEECHEY FAMILY 

directed to right, three-quarter face, dark coat, was 
purchased by the Royal Academy authorities in 1874 
and is now in the Committee- room of that Institute. 
The National Gallery possesses an interesting porti-ait, 
begun by Beechey and finished from the life by John 
Wood ; it has been already mentioned and is here 
reproduced. One of the foregoing was copied in enamel 
by H. Bone, and both the original and the miniature 
are now the property of the Rev. Edwai-d Spencer, of 
Tavistock, a descendant of Beechey. 

Beechey 's granddaughter, Mrs. F, A. Hopkins, 
possesses a three-quarter (canvas 30 in. by 25 in.) of 
him late in life, half figure, directed to right, nearly full 
face, in dark dress, with collar and neckherchief, wearing 
a high-crowned hat : this has generally been assinned to 
be the work of the artist himself, but it is probably 
by R. Hothwell, R.H.A., and is one of at least two 
which remained in the Beechey family until lately ; this 
interesting portrait is also here reproduced. 

Of family groups, with and without Lady Beechey, 
there are many. One of the most interesting of these, 
the property of Mrs. F. A. Hopkins, is a fancy picture 
of " The Blind Fiddler," a large canvas with eight full- 
length figures. The six Beechey children are Henry, 
Charles, Phyllis, Emma, Caroline and Harriet, and the 
other two figures are the nurse, who is holding the 
youngest of the children, and the Blind Fiddler, who is 
seen to the extreme right. Miss Beechey, of Hilgay, 
possesses a small picture of the heads of a lady and 
child, probably Lady Beechey and one of her elder 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHeY 




children, and apparently done late in the eighteenth 
century. Mr. W. W. Hallani, of Lowestoft, is the 
owner of a beautiful example of the artist, puivhased 
at the sale of the effects of a country house near 
Norwich some years ago ; it is of a lady and child, 
probably Lady Beechey and one of her children as a 
cheiub; the canvas is 294 in. by 24^ in. This may 
possibly be the picture of the artist's wife and child so 
highly spoken of by a writer in " Public Characters, 
1800-1801," whose words are quoted on p. 72. The 
picture is here reproduced. 

Every one of Beechey's children appears to have 
been painted by him at one time or another, either as 
poi-traits or in fancy subjects, sometimes both. A few 
particulars about each of the children who grew up, 
and of their portraits (so far as they can be traced) by 
their father, will not be without interest. 

Emma Amelia, the eldest daughter, married in 1813 
the Rev. Charles Spencer, of Great Marlborough Street, 
London. He was vicar of Bishop's Stortford, Herts, 
from 1817 until his death July 7, 1849, called, on 
account of hia good looks, " The Beauty of Holiness." 
Beechey's son-in-law may be identical with the " Charles 
Spencer " who figures in the Account Book, August iH, 
1823, in connection with a payment of ^49 9s., prob- 
ably for a portrait of himself. It is understood that 
a descendant has portraits of the Rev. Charles Spencer 
and his wife, by the latter's father. 

Henry William, the eldest son, was appointed secretary 
to Salt, British Consul-Geiieritl in Egypt, and accom- 




THE BEECHEY FAMILY 



panied Belzoni in 1816-7 beyond the Second Cataract. 
He copied the paintings in the King's Tombs in the 
valley of Biban-el-Muluk, and returned to England in 
or about ib20. In company with his brother, ('aptaiii 
Becchey, he surveyed the coast line from Tripoli to 
Dema, and the " Journal " of that expedition con- 
tained numerous beautiful drawings by Henry. He 
exhibited two pictures, one at the British Institution 
in 1829, " View of Part of Cyrene, consisting of the 
Ancient Monuments, and a distant view of the Sea " 
(75 in. by 1 1 [ in. ), and a portrait of Mrs. Worthington 
at the Royal Academy of 1838. He was a Fellow 
of the Society of Antiquai-ies (1825), and published an 
edition of Sir Joshua Reynolds's "Literary Works," 
1835. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1855, and 
acquired nearly the whole of the land now covered by 
Christchurch, but disposed of it before it became 
valuable. He died at Littleton. 

Charles, who appears in the family group of " The 
Blind Fiddler," died young, 

Caroline married Mr. Innes of the Admiralty. The 
portrait which Beechey exhibited at the Royal Academy 
of 183s, No. 392, Mrs, Innen, was, most probably, 
of his daughter, painted ten or fifteen years before it 
was exhibited. The portrait, a half-figure, shows Mrs. 
Innes directed to front and looking at the spectator, 
in pale yellow low dress, with white lace, gold chain 
suspended around the neck, buckle and trinkets, black 
hair, full dark brown eyes, brunette complexion, holding 
in right hand a portfolio, labelled "Hamlet"; this 




picture was purchfised from Mr. George Iiines, a son of 1 
the Mrs. Innes in the portrait, by the present owner, 
Mra. Comnieline, of Beaconsfield Kectory, Bucks (her- 1 
self a great-granddaughter of the artist). 

Harriet married on April 20, 1816, Richard Riley, 
Esq., of the Admiralty. Her father painted her portrait, 
probably aa a wedding present, and exhibited it at the 
Royal Ai-ademy of 1818, No. 214; this portrait, which 
is a whole length, is one of the finest of Beechey's later 
works, the face itself being extraordinarily sympathetic 
and of great tenderness: it shows her seated, in white 
low-necked dress, head turned towards left, hands resting 
in lap, and on the right is a balustrade with a vase of 
flowers. Tlie portrait remained in the possession of a 
descendant of Mrs. Riley until recently, when it was 
purchased by Mr. William Windus, from whose posses- 
sion it passed into that of Sir Isidore Spieloiann. 

Frederick William, bom February 17, 1796 (godson 
of William IV.), entered the Navy in 1806 ; he accom- 
panied Franklin's Arctic Expedition in 1818, wrote 
an account of it, was an eminent geogiapher andaRear- 
Admiral; he married December 13, 1828, Charlotte, 
youngest daughter of Lt.-Col. John.Stapleton, Esq., of 
Thorpe Lee ; was President of the Royal Geogiaphical 
Society, and Superintendent of the Marine Department 
of the Boai-d of Trade from 1850 to his deatli in 1856. 
Anne Phyllis, bom in 1794, mai-ried at Marylebune 
Church, on October 26, 1813, to Henry Spencer, 
Esq. Beechey painted a companion pair of portraits 
(each about 30 in. by 25 in.) of his daughter Phyllis and 




I 



THE BEECHEY FAMILY 



'93 



Henry Spencer as a present on theb- marriage ; these 
are the property of their daughter Miss Harriet J. 
Spencer, of Rcdlands, Bristol. 

George Duncan was boin in 1798 (godson of George 
III.), and followed his father's profession ; he exhibited 
portraits at the Hoyal Academy from 1817 ; about 1828 
or 1829 he went to India, and there married a princess 
of the name of " Hinda," a portrait of whom (after- 
wards engraved) he sent to the Royal Academy of 1 832 ; 
he became Court Painter and Controller to the King of 
Oudh, and died at Lucknow, December 6, 1852. His 
death is said to have been accelerated by grief at 
hearing of the total loss of the ship in which he had 
sent home to England a laige number of his best portraits 
for exhibition. His descendants are still in India. 

Anna Dodsworth, bom in 1800, married at Maryle- 
bone July t6, 1825, John Jackson, Esq., of Hambleton. 
Rutlandshire, and Queen Anne Street, London, 
Beechey painted a charming portrait of this daughter 
when she was about seven years of age. This picture, 
which was exhibited at the Royal Academy of 1828, 
No. 11, still belongs to Mrs. Hugh Fi-ederick Jackson, 
widow of one of the artist's grandsons. This pic- 
ture (which measures 40 in, by 50 in.) is a whole 
length of a little girl sitting, directed to front, and 
looking at spectator in an autumnal landscape under- 
neath some trees, in a low-cut terra-cotta dress, white 
chemisette, green polonaise, dark velvet hat with green 
strings, with her lunch-basket by her side. Mr. Herbert 
Innes Jackson, brother-in-law of the present owner of 




'94 

the portrait, possesses a very interestiug letter sentJ 
with the picture to his father i it is dated Harley StreetJ 
August 21, 1828, and runs as follows: — 

"My DEAE Jackson, — This being the 
of your birthday, I have sent you some com ; and 
case you should ever be needy a little gleaner to 
all your wants, which I beg your acceptance of, and as 
a mark of my sincere affection, and that when my 
grandchildren, at some future time, may look upon it, 
it may put them in mind of Papa B., who is, with most 
affectionate regard, 

" My dear Jackson, 

" Very truly yours, 

" W. Beechky. 

This charming picture was engraved on October i, 
1829, under the title of The Little Gleaner, by E. 
Finden. There is yet an earlier one of the same child, 
when a baby, being nursed by her mother, which 
also a delightful example of Sir W. Beechey: t 
is the property of the Rev. Hippisley Jackson, 
Stagsden Vicarage, Bedford. Mr. Herbert Jackson, 
of Talbot Square, possesses a portrait of his mother, 
Anna Dodsworth Beechey, painted as a wedding pre- 
sent by her father ; a half-figure, in dark low-cut dren 
and with jet-black hair (canvas, about 30 in. by 25 in.X 
with a necklace of yellow topazes — the necklace wi 
left by will to Mrs. Herbert Jackson, and is still W4 
by her. 

Charlotte Earle (god-daughter of Queen Charlotte^ 



I 




THE BEECHEY FAMILY 

twin-sister of William Nelson Beechey, bom August 3, 
1801, married July 26, 1825, Fletcher Norton, third 
Baron Grantley ; died August i, 1878. Beechey painted 
several portraits of this daughter ; one of these, doubt- 
less a companion portrait of the whole length of Lord 
Grantley, is now at Grantley Hall. Another, a fancy 
portrait of her as Psyche, now belongs to Mre. Mac- 
ready (nie Ceciie Spencer), of Cheltenham, — a grand- 
daughter of the artist, and second wife of Macready, 
the actor. Lady Grantley 's brother George also 
painted her poi-trait, which was engraved in stipple by 
Meyer, and published in October 1827. A grand- 
daughter of the artist has a poi-trait of Charlotte 
(afterwards Lady Grantley) as a Gleaner, in mauve 
low dress with diagonal stripes, in a landscape back- 
ground, seated and reclining against a bank ; canvas, 
36 in. by 28 in, 

William Nelson Beechey, born August 3, 1801, be- 
came a solicitor, married September 5, 1839, at St. 
John's, Paddington, to Maria, second daughter of J. W. 
Liddiard, Esq., of Hyde Park Street ; died at Streatham, 
November 28, 1849. His only daughter is Miss 
Nelson Beechey. Alfred, born June 24, 1803. St. 
Vincent (god-son of the Earl of St. Vincent), bom 
August 7, 1806; entered the Church; married Miss 
Jones, of Woodhall, Norfolk ; held many appoint- 
ments in the Church, and died, rector of Hilgay, 
Norfolk, on August 19, 1899. A portrait of him when 
about six years of age, by his father, is the property 
of Mis. Kiugsford, Thrapston Rectory. A member of 



196 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



the family possesses a. head of St. Vincent Beechey, 
painted when he was about four or five years of age, 
a chubby, cherubic face, with an elaborate white frill 
collar. 

Richard Brydges, born May 17, 1808, entered the 
Navy in 1822, and after an adventurous and varied 
career was appointed admiral ; he married Frideswaide 
M. M. Smyth, eldest daughter of Robert Smyth, Esq., 
of Portlich Castle, Co. Westmeath. He was an ac- 
compliehed painter of sea views, and exhibited at the 
Royal Academy from 1832 to 1877, at the British 
Institution from 1833 to 1859. and at the Society of 
British Artists, 1834-5. He lived for several years at 
Plymouth, and many of his pictures are still in that 
town; he died in 1895. Sir William Beechey's youngest 
child, Jane, appears to have died in infancy. 



CHAPTER VII 



SOME OTHER PORTRAITS 

Beechev painted a. very large number of pictures 
which were never exhibited at the Academy, llie 
present chapter deals briefly, and for the most part 
in alphabetical order, with such portraits as are known 
to us at the present time, but which have not been 
identified as having been exhibited at the Royal 
Academy and are not (with two or three exceptions) 
mentioned in the earlier chapters of this work. The 
i-ange of these portraits is naturally a very wide one, 
embracing as it does the whole of the artisfs working 
career. Only a small number of them have been 
examined by the present writer, so that in most cases 
the entries are here made " without prejudice." For 
many years auctioneers and picture-dealers have been 
in the habit of ascribing fifth-rate " Hoppnei-s " 
and "Lawrences" to Beechey, so that it would be 
impossible within the limits of this work to make 
anything like an exhaustive catalogue of such pictures, 
even if such a list would serve any useful purpose, 
Beechey painted a good many indifferent pictures, 
like every other artist, but he could not jmssibly 
have painted all the rubbish which has been ascribed 



198 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

to him. The hideous fashions of the early Victorian 
period have spoiled, from the collector's point of view, 
many of the portraits, both of men and women, but 
more especially of the latter, which he painted towards 
the evening of his long career ; but this is a fault of 
which he is the victim rather than the culprit. 

Miss Abemethy, sister of the celebrated doctor, half- 
ligure, on canvas, 25 in. by 30 in., exhibited at Messrs. 
P. and T>. Colnaghi and Co.'s in June 1904. A "three- 
quarter" portrait, with "Captain Bainbridge " written 
on the back of the canvas (owned by Mr. Julian 
Sampson), in uniform, apparently naval, with gold 
buttons, and wearing an Order of a Knight of Malta ; 
this exceptionally strong portrait may be of Sir Philip 
Bainbrigge (1786-1862), whose deeds are recorded in 
the " Dictionary of National Biography." The " Lord 
J, Russell" of the Account Book, 1790, is doubtless 
the portrait of John, sixth Duke of Bedford (1766- 
1839), described by Scharf in the " Catalogue of I*ictures 
at Wobum Abbey," in which it is said to have been 
" taken when young " ; he wears a dark brown coat with 
raised collar, and the long-flowing hair is powdered ; 
canvas, 28* in. by 24 in. John Blackburne,F.R.S,( 1754- 
1 833), whose portrait was engraved in stipple byTomkins, 
sat in ten ParJiaments, 1784-1830, and the engraving 
(a private plate) shows him to half-figure, in dark coat, 
with white neckerchief; he holds a MS. in his hand. John 
Blades{died in 1829, aged seventy-eight), whose portrait 
was engraved by W. Say in 1822, was painted in 1815, 
a three-quarters; he is represented in sheriff's ftip- 




« 



SOME OTHER PORTRAITS 

trimrned gown with chain of office ; he was a glass 
manufacturer of Ludgate Hill, and was Sheriff' of 
London and Middlesex, 1812-13, Arthur Blayney 
(died October i, 1795. aged eighty -one) was known as 
" The Father of Montgomeryshire," and his portrait was 
engraved in mezzotint by T. Hardy ; this print shows 
him to half-figure, in plain coat with powdered hair. 
Mr. Claude Borrett, of Hattoii Court, Castlethorpe, 
possesses an admirable late portrait of his grandmother, 
Laura Maria, only daughter of Sir George Tuthill, and 
wife of Thomas Borrett, a London solicitor; it is a 
"three-quarters" (30 in. by 25 in.), in which Mrs. 
Bon-ett is seen to half-figure, seated at a window, in 
low dress, salmon pink bodice, with bluish-green cloak 
thrown back, dark brown curly hair, light blue eyes ; this 
lady died on February 2o, 1863, aged sixty-two years, 

A portrait of Viscount Bulkeley (Thomas, seventh Vis- 
count, born I752,died*.p. June 3, 1832) was engraved in 
stipple by W. Say, and shows him to half-figure, in dark 
coat with broad collar and white neckerchief ; this is 
doubtless the picture entered in the Account Book 
under 1791, when Beechey also painted a portrait of 
the Viscountess Elizabeth Harriet, only daughter and 
heiress of Sir George Warren, of Poynton ; she married 
August 26, 1777, and died in 1826. A portrait of 
Thomas Cadell, the bookseller and alderman of London 
(1742-1802), was engraved in stipple by H. Meyer, and 
shows him to half-length, seated, in light coat with 
broad lapeLs. The portrait of another alderman, John 
Carr (died in 1807, aged eighty-four), architect and 




200 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

alderman of York, of whith city he was mayor in 1770 
and 1785, was engraved in mezzotint by C H. Hodges ; a 
three-quarter length figure, in plain coat and striped vest, 
holding plans on table, one inscribed " J. Carr, archi- 
tect,^ and another " Elevation of the Crescent at 
Buxton," which Can- built. Philip, fifth Earl of 
Chesterfield (1755-1815), whose portrait was engraved 
in mezzotint by J. R. Smith in June 1 898, is shown 
to half-figure, 'and wears a coat, which is buttoned 
across the chest, with high collar; when engraved the 
original picture was the property of "Francis Freeling, 
Esq.," afterwards Sir Francis Freeling, the postal 
reformer. Mr. W. C. Alexander, of Aubrey House, 
Kensington, is the owner of the portrait of Robert 
Cleveley (1747-1809), the marine painter, who was 
killed through failing over the cliff at Dover ; this 
portrait was engraved in stipple by Freeman in 1810 ; 
on the back of the canvas is an inscription stating thst 
the portrait was "painted at a single sitting." According 
to Evans's "Catalogue" (vol. ii.) Hodgetts engraved a 
portrait by Beechey of Samuel Pepys Cockerell, the 
architect {1754-1827), but we have not seen this 
engraving. Of the two portraits of Sir William 
Codrington, M.P., entered in the Account Book of 
1789, one is now in the Town Hall at Tewkesbury, 
which place Codrington represented in Parliament (rom 
1761 until his death, March 11, 1792. Mi-s. Coppell, 
whose portrait is in the collection of Mr. Henry 
Pfungst, and is here reproduced, was grandmother of 
Sir George Barnard, and was purchased from trusteea ' 




SOME OTHER PORTRAITS loi 

in 1886. The portrait of the Rev. William Coxe, the 
author and traveller {1747-1828), is at King's College, 
Cambridge, it is said to have been painted on March 
5, 1805, and was engraved in mezzotint by B. Dunkarton 
August 5 of the same year ; it is a half-figure, in black 
coat and white cravat, canvas 30 in. by 25 in, ; it was 
lent to the exhibition at South Kensington in i 

The portrait of Henry d'Esterre Darby, captain of 
H.M.S. Bclkrophon at the battle of the Nile, 1798 (he 
was knighted in 1820), was engiaved by R. Earlom in 
]8or, " from a picture in the possession of his brother, 
J. Darby, Esq., of Leaf Castle, King's Co,, and of 
Markley, Co. Sussex"; the officer is in uniform and 
wears a medal, which hangs from the button-hole. 
The portrait of Charles Dibdin, the dramatist and 
song-writer (1745-1814), a half-figure, seated in an 
arm-chair, holding a book in left hand (canvas 29 in. 
by 24 in.), is one of several Beecheys in the collection 
of the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, who lent this one to 
the Old Masters in 1893. An admirable portrait of 
Kenneth Dixon, son of John and Anne Dixon of Tot- 
teridge, Herts, when a young boy, in dark suit and 
white frills, large hat with feathera, in a landscape 
playing battledore (canvas 53 in. by 40 in.), was sold 
at Christie's on May 3, 1902, for 200 guineas, and 
was purchased by Mr. Home. The portrait of Vice- 
Admiral Sir William Henry Douglas, second baronet, 
who died at Chelsea in May 1809, in his forty-ninth 
year, was engraved by W. Say, and is now the pro- 
perty of M, C. Sedelmeyer, Paris. Francis Drake, the 



202 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

diplomatists (1764-1821) portrait was one of the 
several by Beecbey engraved by John Young, but the 
engraving is undated ; it shows a three-quarter figure in 
court di'ess, right arm across that of chair, left hand 
on table to right. The frequently engraved portrait of 
Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth (1748-1817), a 
half figure in naval uniform with decorations and Order, 
wag lent to the exhibition at Exeter in 1873 by Sir 
J. T. B. Duckworth, and to the Naval Exhibtion in 
London in 1891 by Admiral Sir G. Duckworth-King; 
it has been engraved by Vendramini, by Clint, and by 
Charles Turner, and was painted in 1810. The " Mr. 
Dundas" of the 1823 Account Book was Charles 
Dundas, the barrister and politician (1751-1832), who 
was created Baron Amesbury in the year of his death ; 
this portrait was engraved by W, Say, but the en- 
gi'aviiig is unknown to us. Another engraved portrait 
of which we have been unable to examine the engraving 
— by Meyer — is that of the Earl of Egrcmont (George 
O'Brien, third earl, 1751-1838); the original portrait 
is probably at Petworth. According to Fulcher's 
"Life of Thomas Gainsborough, R.A.," 1856, p. 124, 
Sir William Beecbey " was employed to alter some 
part of the figure " of Gainsborough's whole length of 
the Countess of Egremont at Petworth ; " he painted 
considerably on it, and on the background, but did not 
touch the face," Mr. Austen Chester is the owner of 
Beechey's portrait of the Rev. William Eveleigh, LL.D,, 
Vicar of Aylesford and Lamberhurst, painted in 1829. 
"The Hon. Mrs. Finch and Family "is the title of a 



SOME OTHER PORTRAITS 




group (canvas 77 in. by 52 in.), the property of Mrs. 
Dayes, purchased at Kobinson and Fisher's for 115 
guineas, June 5, 190Z, by Sir Faudell Phillip. A 
kit-cat portrait of Sir James John Fraser, Bart., was 
sold at Christie's on May 28, 1903, for 140 guineas. A 
private plate by Charles Turner of Thomas Forsyth is 
another of the engravings after Beechey which we have 
not yet been able to examine. The portrait of Admiral 
Alan Gardner (1742- 1809) was engraved by Fenner for 
Jerdan's " Portrait Gallery," 1832 ; the original was 
lent to South Kensington by Lord Gardner in 1867 ; it 
is a bust or "three-quarters" in naval uniform. A 
companion pair of portraits (canvas 49 in. by 39 in.) 
of Lord and Lady Godolphin were lent to the 
Grosvenor Gallery in 1889 by the Duke of Leeds; 
Lady Godolphin is in low-cut muslin dress with 
short sleeves. Lord Godolphin wa-s the second son of 
Francis, fifth Duke of Leeds ; he was bom October 18, 
1777, and was created Baron Godolphin on May 14, 
1832, and died in February 1850; he married, on 
March 30, 1800, the Hon. Elizabeth, third daughter of 
the first Lord Auckland, and she died April 17, 1847 ; 
their son succeeded as eighth Duke of Leeds. Mr. E. 
Gosse has a portrait of his mother, Miss Emily Bowes, 
when a child in 1814 or 1815, and afterwards the wife 
of P. H. Gosse, F.R.S. The finer of the two portraits, 
which differ slightly, of John Guillemard, a great 
traveller, and a friend of botli Talleyrand and 
Humboldt, is that owned by Mr. Davies Gilbert of 
Trelissick, near Truro, whilst the other belongs to 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

Guillemard's great-p'cat-nephew, Mr, F. Henry H. Guil- 
]emard, of Old Mill House, Ti-uinpingtoii, Cambridge. 
A portrait of Captain Hardy, Nelson's friend and com- 
panion, was in the possession of Messrs. Vicars Brothers, 
Old Bond Sti-eet, London, in April 1904, There are 
two versions of the engraved " three-quarters " portrait 
of William Heberden, the eminent physician {1710- 
i); one is at the Master's Lod ye, St. John's College, 
Cambridge (of which he was a Fellow), and the other is 
at the College of Physicians ; the undated meznotint by 
James Ward shows half-Hgure, seated, wearing dark 
dress and wig; it was again engraved by J. Thomson 
for Pettigrew's "Biographies of Medical Men," 1839. 
Since the earlier portion of this book has been printed 
off one of the Academy exhibits has been traced^ 
namely, the Mrs. Kills and Cliild. 1800 (p. 72), and thtS' 
very line picture, which is signed and dated, is here 
illustrated. Mrs. Hills (v^e Francis Baiikes, bom in 
1770, and died January J2, 1849) manied, in 1749, 
Phillip Hills, of Colne Park, second son of Thomas 
Astle, F.R.A., the well-known antiquary (the name of 
Hills was assumed when Philip Astic succeeded to the 
Colne Estate) ; the child, her only son, Uobert, was 
bom at Colne I'ark on August 15, 1796, and died in 
1876. The picture now belongs to Miss Lonna J. 
Reeves, of Lowestoft, great-granddaughter of Mrs. 
Hills. 

Mrs. Oscar Leslie Stephen is the owner of two un- 
usually fine examples of Beechey, Mrs. Idle and herl 
second son, George. Mrs. Idle, who died at Soutbgatai 



4 



SOME OTHER PORTRAITS zoy 

on January 26, 1834, '"^ the wife of Christopher Idle, 
M.P. for Weymouth (he died March 8, 1819), a partner 
in the firm of Christopher Idle, Brother and Co., wine 
merchants, of 377 Strand, London. George Idle 
matriculated at Christ Church College, Oxford, on 
July 3, 1813, aged eighteen, and his niece Miss Idle, 
who married Mr. Algernon William Bellingham Greville 
(Mrs. Stephen's father), inherited the pictures. Mrs. 
Idle's portrait, on a kit-cat canvas, shows her to half 
figure, white low dress with black cloak lined with pink, 
sealed in red chair^^irected to front and looking to 
left ; right ai-m i-esting on that of chair, dark curly hair 
falling in ringlets over forehead. The portrait of 
George Idle is a whole length on a " three-quarters " 
canvas (30 in. by 25 in.) of a lad of about eight 
or nine, in dark blue dress with gold buttons, 
white lace collar, white stockings; he is directed 
to left, and is looking at spectator nearly full face, fair 
hair. Boyle's " Court Guide "of 1817 gives the addr^ses 
of Christopher Idle as 6 Adelphi Terrace, Southfield 
L«dge, Eastbourne, and Southgate, whilst those of 
George Idle are 12 Lower Seymour Street, and South- 
field Lodge. The late General J. Julius Johnstone, 
bequeathed to the National Gallery in 1898, among 
other family pictures, two by Sir William Beechey, 
a companion pair of " three-quartei-s " of Alexander 
P. Johnstone and James P. Johnstone : their iden- 
tities have not been established beyond the names, 
but both are excellent examples of the artist. 
At the Naval Exhibition of 1891, Admiral Sir G. 



206 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



Dockwartb-Kiiitc, Bart, exhibited a portrait a 
Sir Richard King (1730-1800), who distinguished 
hiouetf in the ludi&n Seas and was created a baronet on 
July 18, 1792. 

In the earlier portion of this work we have had 
numerous instances in which Beecbej bos made replicas 
of his more fiunons sitters, cfither For their friends or for 
his own gallery. An interesting example of this kind 
calls for mention in connection with a portrait of 
General Viscomit Lake and his second i«oD G«arge 
Augustus Frederick Lake ; the former was bom in 
July 1744. and afttr a career in the army was created 
Viscount Lake November 4, i8Q7,and died February 20, 
1808. His son aino entered the army and was killed at 
the battle of Vimiera on Augtiat 17, 1808. The ptcton 
with father and son, whole lengths in anifona, staadnKt 
in a landscape, was painted for the King of Oude, bat 
was destroyed at the time of the Indian Mutiny. The 
Beechey replica is now the property of Viscount Lake's 
great grandswi. Major John Colin Wardiaw, of I^rgs 
Twynfaolm, Kirkcudbrightshire, bj whoae courtesy we 
are enabled to give a reproduction of it In i8l^ the 
artist painted a whole length portrait of Thomas Lmob 
(I754-1824) "for the Goldsmiths' Company, to whom 
he was clerk thirty years " ; this has been engraved by 
Charles Turner. In addition to the portrait of Hioniaa 
Cftdell, already mentioned, Beechey also painted one of 
Cadeiri chief auistant, Kobin Lawless (who died in 
Soho, June 21, 1806, aged eighty-two), and Cadell 
"always showed it to hiti frieuds as the chief ornament 





SOME OTHER PORTRAITS 

of his drawing-room" {Nichols, "Literary Anecdotes," 
iii. 388), A portrait of Miss Linwood {1755-1845), 
famous as a musical composer but more particularly as 
an artist in needlework, was engraved by W. Ridley for 
the Monthly Mirror, January 1, 1800 ; it shows her to 
half-figiu-e, seated at a table, in dark di'ess bare to elbows, 
holding a book. The portrait of " Mr. Littledale '' 
at the Royal Academy of 1797 may be identical with 
that of " Thomas Littledale of Rotterdam,"" which was 
engraved in mezzotint by T. Hardy (no date is given on 
the engraving), a half-figure, directed towards left, in 
plain coat and double vest. Canon Cowpei--Johnson of 
Yaxham Rectory, East Dereham, possesses a portrait of 
his gi-eat-grandfather, George Livius, who was bom at 
Lisbon in 1743, and was Commissary-General to Warren 
Hastings in India; he died at Bedford in 1816: the 
portrait is a half-figure (canvas 30 in by 25 in.), looking 
to right, in dark blue coat with high collai- and large 
buttons, white stock and powdered hair. Another 
portrait engi-aved by Ridley for the Monthlt/ Mirror 
(February 1796), was of Macklin the actor, a bust 
directed and looking to right, wearing a wig. 

An admirable portrait of Mrs. Marshall, in white dress 
with pink shawl, resting on a sofa, a dog by her side 
(59 in, by 81 in.), is here illustrated, by per- 
mission of Messrs, Colnaghi and Co., and the following 
interesting particulars will not be out of place : Mrs. 
Marshall was twice married, first to a gentleman named 
Hazlewood, by whom she had two children, a son and 
a daughter. The son, Frank, was in the 6th Regiment, 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

and his portrait was paiotcd by Sir W. Beechey in h» 
miiform, probably at the age of about twenty, as he 
sailed in the Neptune for India in Febnmry 1809, and 
died at Bombay in 1814, aged twenty-five. Mrs. 
Marshall's second husband vas a General Marshall, and 
they resided at Ivy Bank, Nottiug Hill. "There were 
stormy passages " (writes the recent owner of the picture), 
"as each had decided and opposing views as to pose, 
&<:. Sir William objected to the dog, but the lad.^, 
would have it or no picture at all. He explained 
he could not paint animals — but with no better effe 
Mrs. Marshall's eai-s were not well shaped, but neverthel« 
she objected to her curls covering them ; the artist, 
exasperated, lost his temper, and retorted, ' When the 
peacock thinks of his legs he lowers his tail.'" Artist 
and sitter, however, were on excellent terms. General 
Marshall died in March 1842 ; hiH widow died on April 
30, 1 848, and was buried at All Souls Cemetery, Kensal 
Green. The "Captain Mears"" of the 1790 Account 
Book is, there can be no doubt, the "John Mears, 
Esq.," whose portrait was engraved by C. Bestiani), a 
half-figure in an oval coat with high collar, elaborate 
white stock and wig. The engraving forms the frontis- 
piece to Meares's " Voyages made in the years 1788 
and 1789," published in 1790, and printed at the 
famous Logographic Press of the first John Walter, the 
founder of the Ti'ies, who at this period had a West 
End address at " 167 Piccadilly, opposite Old Bond 
Street '* In 1868 Major Hill Mussenden Leathea 
exhibited at Leeds a portrait of Mrs. Merry, 







SOME OTHER PORTRAITS 209 

figure in velvet low-cut bodice with white chemisette, 
dark hair falling in curls over her forehead, holding a 
little dog in her lap (panel, 285 in, by 23^ in.). This 
lady, whose maiden name was Death, married first John 
Leathes, of Reedham and other estates in Norfolk (he 
died in 1788), and secondly Anthony Merry, the diplo- 
matist ; the portrait is now the property of M. C 
Sedelmeyer, of Paris. Miss Goldsmith, of Beech Holme 
Wimbledon Common, has a portrait of her old harp- 
master, Charles Frederick Meyer, a half-figure, holding 
a roll of music in his hands (the canvas is about 30 in. 
by 25 in.). Thomas Mortimer (1730-1810), whose 
portrait was engraved by Ridley for the Eui-opean 
Magazine, May i, 1 799, a half-figure of an elderly man 
with dark coat, white neck-cloth, and wig, was the 
author of numerous books, of which a full account 
accompanied his portrait in the Kuropean Magaztrie; 
he was Vice-Consul of the Austrian Netherlands 1762-8, 
and published "The British Plutarch" in 1763, Sir 
Harry Bun-ard Neale (1765-1840), who appears in the 
1807 Account Book, a half-length "for Lord St. 
Vincent," was a distinguished naval officer, and attained 
to the rank of rear-admiral in 1810. He was M.P. 
for I-ymington for forty years. This portrait was 
engraved by J. B. Lane for " The British Gallery of 
Contemporary Portraits," 1832. 

Among the Slindon heirlooms sold at Christie's on 
May 7, 1904, was a whole-length portrait of Anne 
Webb, who maiTied, June 30, 1789, Anthony James, 
Earl of Newbury, and died August 3, 1861, aged 




210 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

ninety-nine. She wears a soft white dress with ji^ld 
sash and gold ribbon in her hair, and holds a thio veil 
over her head ; landscape and river in the background 
(canvas 93 in. by 57 in.). The portrait realised 550 
guineas. Two half-lengths of " Lord Francis Osbom 
and his lady '" are mentioned in " Public Characters, 
1800-1," as having been painted for Lord Auckland. 
Sefior Juan F, Kiafio, in an article in the AtherKEum, 
May 9, 1896, on the Osuna collection of pictures, refers 
to two "refined and pleasing'' portraits of two young 
men, sons of the ninth Duke of Osuna, Mention may be 
here made to the National Portrait Gallery likeness of 
the Rev. William Paley, which has been for many years 
ascribed to Beechey ; it is a copy by that artist after 
George Romney, In the Account Book of January 1809 
we have the entry : " Of Mr. Brown for a copy of Dr. 
Paley, ^'42." A whole-length portrait (93 in. by 58 in.) of 
Miss Mary Anne Payne (" LaColombe Sauvee"), daughter 
of George Payne, and afterwards Mrs, Dolphin, was at 
Christie's on April 10, 1895, when it realised 375 guineas. 
In the Account Bookof 1807 there is an entry: "Of Mr. 
Pearse for three pictures of himself, £1 26," and in that 
of 1813 another entry : " Of Mr. Pearse for two three- 
quarter pictures,;^ 105." This " Mr. Peai-se " was prob- 
ably Dr. William Pearse, Master of Jesus College, 
Cambridge, of the Temple, and Dean of Ely (he died in 
1820, aged seventy-seven). One of these five versions is 
at the Masters Lodge, Jesus College. The portrait of 
Miss Jane Peveril, daughter of Robert Peveril, of 



k~"IIl 



SOME OTHER PORTRAITS 211 

Eastby, Yorks ; died DeL-ember 20, 1826, aged fifty- 
eight — sold at Christie's on June 25, 1904, for 260 
guineas, is possibly the "Mi-s. Johnson" of the 1789 
Account Book. She is in a black-and-white dress, with 
powdered hair and pearl ornaments (canvas 30 in. by 
24 in.). A portrait of the Rev, William Piercy, a 
Dissenting minister at Coventry and Woolwich, chaplain 
to the Countess of Huntingdon and President of Georgia 
College, North America, is mentioned in Evans's 
" Catalogue," No. 20338, as having been engraved in 
mezzotint by R. Dunkarton, but no example of this en- 
graving is known to us. " Sir Charles Poole," whose kit- 
cat portrait is entered in the Account Book of 1819, was 
AdmiralSirCharlesMoricePole{i757-i83o). Theportrait 
was engraved both by W, Say and by Charles Turner, 
and is reproduced in Brenton's " Naval History," 1837, 
p. 536. In addition to the picture of "Lord Por- 
chester's Family " mentioned in the Account Book of 
1790, Beechey painted Lord Porchester (Henry George, 
aftei-wards second Earl of Carnarvon, 1772-1833), and 
this portrait was engi'aved in mezzotint by W. Say ; it 
shows him to half-figure in military uniform and sash. 
A portrait, sold at Christie's in July 1901, of Miss 
Susan Mack worth -Praed, twin-sister of the Countess 
Mayo aTid wife of Thomas Smith, of Fonthill, Jamaica, 
and Bersted. Bognor, shows her seated on a terrace in 
red dress with cloak lined with ermine and pearl neck- 
lace (canvas 50 in. by 40 in.). " The Rev, Mr. Prince," 
for a portrait of whom a Mr. Palmer paid 25 guineas 
on June 4, 1816, for " a three-quarter bought by the 




212 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

committee of the Magdalen," was doubtless the ' 
John Prince," of whom a portrait was engraved bj 
Skelton. We have not been able to examine a copy of 
this engraving. 

Lord Burton's picture of Mrs. J. M. Raikes (canvas 
30 in. by 25 in.), engraved in stipple by T. Nugent, is of 
Charlotte, daughter of Nathaniel Bayly, wife of Job 
Mathew, third son of William Raikes, of Welton, 
Yorks ; it is, there can Ije hardly any doubt, identical 
with the Mi-s. Raikes of the 1807 Account Book ; from 
the later entry it will be seen that the artist charged 
five guineas extra for the painting in of a hand. Sir 
John Chambers Reade, sixth baronet of Barton, Berks, 
was a patron of Sir William Beechey, as may be seen 
from the Account Books of 1811 and 1813, where we 
have entries of payments for two whole-length portraits 
of himself {bom 1785, died 1866) ; one of his mother, 
Jane, only daughter of Sir Chandos Hoskyns, Bart, 
whom she married January 1 3, 1 784 {he died in Novem- 
ber 1789), she died December 17, 1847; and one of 
his sister, Jane, who died in April 1837. Three of 
these portraits were sold at Christie's on July 13, 1895 
(that of Sir John is erroneously described as of the fifth 
baronet). The portraits of Lady Reade and her son 
were acquired by M. Sedelmeyer, of Paris, and are 
illustrated in his " Catalogue of Three Hundred Paint- 
ings by Old Masters," 1898; they are now the property (rf 
Mr, Rodman Wannamaker, of Philadelphia; that of 
Miss Reade was purchased by Mr. Blakeslee, of New 
^^^ York. Lady Reade is standing in a landscape in bladi ^^h 




SOME OTHER PORTRAITS 

dress trimnied with white lace, and with white lace 
head-dress; Sir John Chondos Reade is standing near 
a pillar in blue velvet court dress, knee breeches, and 
white stockings, holding his sword with his left hand ; 
Miss Reade is in white silk and la^e dress, tuning her 
harp. The second of the two whole-length porti'aits 
of the baronet was not sold with the others. One of 
the many pictures known to us only through the 
engraving is that of John Revoult, A.M., "Master of 
Walworth Acadeniy,''engravedby James Ward in 1798, 
" from an original painting by Sir William Beechey, 
B.A., presented to Mr. Revoult by the gentlemen who 
had been educated under him as a token of their high 
respect and affectional regard towards him." This 
portrait shows Revoult to half-figure, in dark coat with 
velvet collar and white neckerchief ; he holds up in his 
nght hand a closed book, lettered " Introduction to the 
Arts and Science?, 1798." The Right Hon, George 
Rose (1744-1818), the statesman and political writer, 
was painted by Beechey in 1802, and this portrait (35J 
in. by 2y^ in.), signed and dated " W. B., 1802," was 
presented by his grandsons, Hugh Loi-d Strathnaim, 
G.C.B., and Sir William Rose, to the National Portrait 
Gallery in 1873 ; he is seated in a green-backed arm- 
chair, in dark blue coat, white waistcoat and cravat, 
and holds in his right hantl a paper inscribed " George 
Rose, Esq,"' It should be noted that the portrait of 
Rose engraved by Vendramini for " The British Gallery 
of Contempoi'ary Portraits," 181 1, was at that time in 
the possession of " Matt. Winter," so possibly the 



214 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



engraved picture is a replica by Beechey. A portrait " 
of Lady Hoiis, second wife of the sixth baronet 
(who in 1821 was created Earl of Stradbroke), was in 
the Royal Academy of 1796, and has ah-eady been 
mentioned; in 181 1 Beechey painted a "three-quarters" 
of Lord Rous (1750-1827), in peer's robes, and this wai 
engraved in mezzotint by Charles Turner in the autunm 
of the same year. A porti-ait of John, third Duke of 
Roxburghe, the famous book collector (he succeeded 
his father in 1755 and died in 1804), is mentioned in 
Watts's " Cabinet of Modem Art" (p. 100), and this is 
also found in the Account Book of 1789; it may be 
identical with that of the Duke engraved {without 
name of artist or engraver) in i8i6for W. Clarke's 
"Repertorium Bibliographicum," and fretjuently re- 
peated. A portrait of " Mr. Rudd of Yorkshire " is 
named in " Public Charateers, 1800-1," p. 355. 

A very early portrait, dated on the back 1784, of 
Johann Peter Salomon, the violinist {1745-1815), who 
organised concerts in which Mozart and Haydn took part 
at the Hanover Square Rooms 179 1-2, was exhibited at 
Oxford 1906, No. 175; it is a half-figure portrait in 
green coat, lace cravat and ruffles ; his right hand, 
holding a pen, rests on a paper lying with some books 
and a violin on a table before him. One of the most 
delightful of Beechey's early pictures of children is thvl 
property of Ur. Charles Shelley of Hertford, by whoi 
permisaion it is reproduced in this book ; it represent^ 
John, only son of John and Martha Shelley, of Gn 
Yarmouth, bom December 31, 1781, and died suddei 



L 



SOME OTHER PORTRAITS 

ill London, July 28, 1835, after giving evidence before 
a Parliamentary Committee: he was a partner in the 
firm of Hurry and Co., of Yarmouth, Russia merchants, 
and captain of a company in the Yarmouth Regiment 
of Volunteer Infantry, 1805; and his sister, Charlotte 
Ann Shelley, bom in 1783, and died unmarried in 
1815. The picture is referred to in Dawson Turner's 
"Sepulchral Reminiscences," 1848 {page 74): '"ITie 
family [Shelley] ai'e in jMJssession of a portrait of him 
as a boy not more than ten or eleven years of age, 
walking with his sister. Sir William Beechey, by whom 
it was painted, told me himself that he regarded it as 
the best of his works." Dr. Shelley, the owner, and 
Mr. John Shelley, of Plymouth (who has himself 
furnished us with the biographical particulars), are 
grandsons of the John Shelley in the picture. An 
engraving by Parker, "three-quarters, sitting," is the 
only known evidence of a portrait of Henry Addington 
Viscount Sidmouth (1757-1844^ ; we have not seen this 
engraving. The portrait painted in 1808 of "Mr. 
Simeon " was of Charles Simeon {1759-1836}, the divine, 
who was the incumbent of Holy Trinity, Cambridge, 
1783-1836 ; this portrait is engraved in Dean Spence'a 
" History of the Church of England," vol. iv, p. 301. 

Lord Ravenswoi-th possesses at Ravensworth Castle, 
Gateshead, a whole-length portrait (93 in. by 57J in.) 
of John Sinipon, a young man leaning against a pillar, 
in a canary-coloured suit and blue coat, knee-breeches 
and dark stockings; he was a son of John Simpson, of 
Bradley, who man'ied Anne, daughter of Thomas, Earl 



I 



2l6 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



of Strathniore ; tUe subject of the portrait died }'ouiig; ] 
and at his fatljefs death the property was divided 
between the two surviving daughtere, Lady Ravens- 
worth and Lady Dean Paul, Sir George R. Sitwell, 
of Renishaw Hall, Chesterfield, has a very fine portrait 
of his great grandmother, Alice, daughter of Thomas 
Parkes, of Highficld House, Lancaster, and first wife of 
Sitwell Sitwell, afterwai-ds Sir Sitwell Sitwell (she died 
in May 1797)- A somewhat enigmatical entry in the 
Account Book, under date June 5, 1826, "of Col. 
Edwards for a Bishop's half-length of Mr, Ashton 
Smith for the Corporation, ^159 los.." is explained by 
the engraving by S. W. Reynolds and J. P. Quilley, 
which states that it is done " from a portrait painted by 
Sir W. Beechey, R.A., and placed by his [i.e.. Smith's] 
friends in the Grand Jury Ruoni at Carnarvon A.D. 
1826." In the picture itself, Thomas Assheton Smith 
(1752-1828) is seated, and wears a dark coat fastened 
by twobuttons, a light waistcoat ; to left is a table, on 
which are a hat, inkstand and letter-address: "To Sir 
William Beechey, R.A., Harley Street." The " Mr. 
Stephens" of the 1789 Account Book was Samuel 
Stephens, an intimate friend of the artist, and uncle of 
the famousKitty Stephens, theballad -singer, who married 
the fifth Earl of Essex in 1838 ; the portrait (30 in. by 
25 in.), which is dated 1789, is now the property of 
Mrs, Fanny Snow (Stephens's great-granddaughter), 
who has also two fine miniatures of the wife and 
daughter by Lady Beechey ; very little is known of 
Mr. Stephens, except that he was an excellent horseman. 



U 



4 



SOME OTHER PORTRAITS 217 

was married in 1781, and was alive as late as 1822. 
A portrait of " Admiral Stevenson " was lent by Mr. W. 
A. Geare to the Naval Exliibition, 1891 (No. 755 J). 
The " Miss Tracy " of the 179I Account Book was the 
Hon. Henrietta Susan Tracy, only surviving child and 
heiress of Henry, eighth Viscount Sudeley (who died 
April 27, 1797); she was born November 30, 1776, 
married December 29, 1798, her cousin, Charles Han- 
bury, who assumed the additional surname and arma 
of Tracy, and died June 5, 1839 : a portrait (obviously 
not that of 1791) of this lady when a child, in white 
frock, pink sash and shoes, kneeling on the ground 
gathering shells, the sea and a boat in the background 
(canvas 40 in. by 50 in.), was at Christie's on May 8, 
1897. A "three-quarters" portrait of the seventh 
Viscount Tracy was sold at the same place on June 16, 



By the kindness of Mr. E. S. Tmffoi-d, of Wrosham 
Hall, Norwich, we are able to reproduce the exceedingly 
fine porti-ait of his grandmother, Margaret Crowe, who 
was born in 1772, married Sigismuud Traffoi-d in 1791, 
and died in 1838 ; she was the eldest daughter and co- 
heir of James Crowe, of Norwich, and is represented 
in low white dress and powdered hair {canvas 30 in, by 
25 in.). As with nearly every other distinguished 
personage, Beechey painted at least two versions of his 
portrait of Rear-Admiral Sir 'I'homas Trowbridge 
(1758-1807) : one of these, nearly three-quai-ter figure, 
in naval uniform, right hand resting on hilt of sword, 
was engraved by Miss Bourlier for " The British Gallery 




2l8 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



(tf Cont^mimrary I'ortmit*,'" 1822, when it was in 
l>a!wi<«iiii>n of (lie Flarl of St. Vincent : it was again 
Mtgrnml liv W. Hall for Jordan's " Portrait GaUerY," 
18,^0-4. A TCcond verntM) of this portrait was lent to 
thv Naml Kxhihition of 1891. Sir Francis E. Wall«-, 
HkH., poMnwea a beautiful example of Ikecfaei,-, a picture 
oftwoyminggirliiblowingbubbles; tiiey weredat^tso 
(Ovorglaiui, aftcrminlfl wife of tbe Rev. Sainaburr 
Laiq^foH Sainabury of I'Voy le, and Anna, wife of John 
Jan«tl, Kaq., of Camerton Court) of Sir Watben 
Walter. Bart The "John Ward," attorney (1756- 
1829), whose portrait, a half-figure uf an elderly 
ntan, wan cngrai-nl by Henry Mejer, may be ickntical 
with the" Mr. Ward " of the R, A. 1823. In December 
l8i4,Beechn' enters in the Account Book a payinentof 
50 guineaa for a portrait of Lonl Wellington : this waa 
the great Duke (1769-1852), and the picture wna 
evidently a " three-quarters "(30 in. by 25 in.), engnnd 
bySkelton in December 1814; the Duke u seen to faalf- 
6gute in unifoTm, with numerous orders and deconttioDi. 
Meyer also engraved this portrsit. Sanniel WhithraMl, 
the brewer and M.P. (l75^i8i5X was also painted bjr 
Beecbey, and a mezzotint engraving of it by W. Ward 
was published on June 1 1, 1797 ; the engrani^ show* 
him to half-ligure in a square &ame, in plain dark coat 
and whitecrarat. Miss Wrig^t,of Glenorlei^t, Ktngs- 
wcw, has two half-length portiait&, one of Harriet Mam 
Day. who married, January 28. 1 794. IiJiabod Wright, 
Ek)., of Mapperley, Notts, the translator of Dante ; 
the Mcond representa Princeai Amelia. 




SOME OTHER PORTRAITS 

It is impossible even to deal with the scores of ex- 
cellent portraits and gi-oups of which the identities are 
no longer discoverable. One of the best kiiowu of such 
groups is that iu the Louvre, with the title, "Brother 
and Sister." This has been so frequently engraved and 
reproduced in various forms— an illustration of it ap- 
pears in this book — that a lengthy description would 
be superfluous. It may be stated, however, that the 
little boy is in a crimson velvet suit with a lace collar, 
whilst his sister is in white ; this picture was iu the 
John Wilson sale, where it was acquired for 3810 francs 
and presented to the Louvre by VArt in l88r. 

Another picture may be here mentioned, a Portrait 
of a Lady as Evelina, holding a letter, with a dog 
(canvas 26 in. by 30 in.), as an instance of the rapid 
increase in the market value of first-rate works by 
Beechey. This picture, now the pi-operty of Lord 
Hillingdon, was in the following sales : Blamire, 1863, 
50 guineas ; Broderip, 1872, 250 guineas ; and S. Add- 
ington, 1886,900 guineas. An attractive whole-length 
{275 in. by 22 in.) figure of a little girl in high-waisted 
white frock and long white panta,loon8 with frills was 
lent to the Exhibition at Birmingham in 1900 by Mr. 
Henry J, Pfungst, and a reproduction of it is given in 
this work, but nothing apparently is known as to the 
identity of the child or of tlie history of the picture. 



CHAPTER VII 



DEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS, 1789-^31. 1807-1826 

Vkry Utile cxpliuKition is needed respecting the ma«tt.l 
interesting cntrici which form this chapter. They a 
titken from two of Bccchey's private account booitl 
which have been preserved ; the earlier of these is, a* ' 
nlrendy stated, the property of Mr. Sydney Chancellor, 
whose wife ifi a great-granddaughter of the artist : the 
later and more elaborate book is in the Libnury nf the 
Koyal Academy ; and in each case the courtesy of the 
nwucnt h«i> enabled iis to make public a mass of highly 
interesting information respecting Beechey and his 
work. (Jnfortimately, these Account Books do not 
rover the wliok- of the artist's long working career, and 
pn)l>ably the most interesting period of that < 
would inchide the period 1792-1806, of which we hare ] 
only the Koyal Academy exhibitions to ahow us some* I 
thin^ of what lie waH doing in that interval. It is to bs 1 
hopod that the Acroiint Book or books covering thtsl 
period n>ny yet be disi'ovcred. Both Account Bookm J 
were unknown to Uic author until the greater portion 1 
of this work was Hnished in manuscript: hut thtt I 
interesting facts and details revealed in these Account 1 



Books have born utilised in chaps. 



, to v 



> &r OB j 



BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 221 

they relate to or have any bearing upon the pictures 
exhibited at the Royal Academy or in any other way 
mentioned in those chapters. The same may be said 
with regard to the portraits dealt with in chap. vii. 
To annotate these lists would be a task of considerable 
magnitude, and would swell this book to far Iieyond the 
size of other volumes in the series. Nearly all the 
entries tell us the date, size and price of each picture, and 
any elaboration of these singularly interesting Account 
Books must be deferred for a future Catalogue Raisonn^ 
of Beechey's works. The entries are often far from 
distinct, and are here transcribed verb, et lit. 

1789. £ s. d. 

Mrs. Coopers (large) , . lo lo o 

Master C. Herbert (small) .... 550 

Master Crocket (small) , , . , 10 10 o 
Miss Howard (small) ..... 770 

Mrs. Hale (small) 5 5 o 

Mrs, Soane (small) S 5 o 

Mr. C. Herbert G^rge) . . . 10 10 o 

Mrs. G. Herbert (large) . . . , 10 10 o 
Lady Herbert (paid half) 10 10 o 

Ditto (small, paid) . . . 5 5° 

Bishopof Carlisle[JohnDouglas](paid,alsoframe) ai 10 o 

Mrs. Powel 10 ro o 

Lord Abergavenny (paid half) . , 15 15 o 

Mr. Stephens, Admiralty (not paid) . , 15 15 o 

Mr. R. Herbert 10 10 o 

Dr. Strachey ...... loj o o 

Mr. [or Mrs.] Lewes (paid half) . 10 10 o 

Earl of Courtoun (paid half) . . . 43 o o 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



Lord Henry Montague 

Lady E. Montague 

L. [f Lady] M. Montague 

Lady C. Montague 

Lord Dalkeith .... 

Mrs. Longlands .... 

Mr. Wynn ("Kit-Kat") 

Capt. Adams .... 

Mrs. Hume 

Mrs. Clements .... 
Mr. Wheeler .... 
Lady C. Herbert 
Duke of Manchester (paid half) . 
Mr. Herbert .... 
Lord Norreys .... 
Lord Macartney .... 
Sir H. Dashwood (paid half) 
Miss Stuart (not paid, small) 

Mr. Knox 

Duke of Montague 
Sir Wm. Codrington . 

Ditto 
Lord Beaulieu (paid) . 
Duke of Roxboroiigh [RoxburgheJ 
Lord Morton , , . , 
Lady Morton (paid half) 
Master Harris (paid half) 
Mrs. Oddie Family 
Mrs. Maitland .... 
Master Boyce .... 
Mra. Johnstone .... 



5 o 
5 o 




O lO o 

O 10 o ^^J 



BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 223 

1790 (PRICES RAISED). 

£ >■ ■!. 

Mrs. Peirce . , . . , 15 15 o 

Mrs. Simpson . , , . , . 15 15 o 

Mr. [or Mrs.] Irwin 15 15 o 

Lady A. Carpenter 10 10 o 

Mr. C. Herbert 10 10 o 

Sir George Warren 15 15 o 

Lord Herbert 15 iS o 

Lord J, Russel . . . . . . 15 15 o 

Lord Tyrone 1 5 1 5 o 

Mr. Langlands (paid half) . . . . 10 10 o 

Lord Porchester Family (paid half) . . 63 o o 

Master Clayton . . , , . . Ji o O 

Mrs. Wilmot (paid half) 15 15 o 

Miss Keen (paid half) . . . . . ^5 '5 o 

Mrs. Adair 15150 

Capt. Mears 15 15 o 

Mr, Smith (paid half) 15 15 o 

Lord H. Montague 15 15 o 



1791. 

Mrs. Waddington (paid half) 

Mrs. Bennet .... 

Two copies. Lord Dalkeith . 

One do. Mr. Adair (paid) 

One do. Mrs. Herbert (not iiaid). . 

Mrs. MacKabb .... 

Sir Henry Oxenden (paid half) . 

Copy of the D. of Montague [for] Mr. Oddie 
Ditto for Lord Aylesbury (not paid) 
Ditto for Lord Cardigan . 

Mrs. Cos (paid half) 



224 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 


r 








^ 


s. 


d. 


Um\ Bulkeley (paid half) .... 


>5 


'5 





I^m! Bulkeley .... 










Miss Traeey (paid halQ 




15 


*5 





Lord Forbes (paid half) 




31 







Mrs. Crump (paid, also frame) 




15 


'5 





Mrs. Meaux (paid half) 




15 


»S 





Mrs. Crocket .... 




10 







Mr. Light (for copy of Ad. Houlton) 




■S 


»S 




PICTURES PAINTED AND MONEYS RECEIVED, 


1807. 










£ 


8. 


d. 1 


Jan. Of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, 








for a half-length of Hig R.H. 






^^^ 


sent to the Duke of Kent . 


84 


a 


^^^^1 


Of Mr. Foster, for a copy of Mr. 






^^^1 


[Mrs.J Langley ? . . . 


31 





^^^1 


Of Mr. Desenfans, for a portrait of 






^^^1 


Earl St. Vincent 


4» 





^^^H 


Feb. 2. Two months' after sight, of the 






^^^1 


Corporation of Dublin, for a large 






^^^1 


portrait of H.R.H. the Duke of 






^^^1 


Cumberland .... 


a 10 





^^^1 


Of Mr. Claicton (as half), [for a] 






^^^1 


three-quarter .... 


21 





i^^^l 


Of Lady Hood, for a Bishop's half. 






^^^H 


length of Sir Saml. painted for 






^^^1 


Earl St. Vincent 


84 





^^^H 


1$. Of Sir H. B. Neale, for a half- 






^^^H 


length of himself, painted for 






^^H 


Lord St. Vincent 


84 


o 


J^^H 


Of Mr. Webb (as halQ . 


A 




1 


1 




MRS, ISHEKIDAN AS ST. CKCII.IA 

ifiupoJ-ivm air Jmhm Jhunolili by Sir 11, Surcliit) 

fl( permitnioa r^ the SHuet Cameron 



: I 
: I 



. I ! 



I : 
I ■ 
, I 



I ' ' 



BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 


^H 




£ 


^H 


Feb. 18. Of Mr. Webb (in full) . 




^^H 


Of Mre. Raikes {in part) 


2\ 


^^1 


Of Mrs. Tatnall [for the two Misses 




^^1 


T,]{ashdf) .... 


5^ 


10 ^^1 


Of Miss Dee, for H.R.H. Princess 




^^1 


Sophia of Gloucester, for copy ol 




^^1 


the late Duke and frame . 


52 


[O ^^1 


Of Capt. Stevenson, for H.R.H. the 




^^1 


Duke of Cumberland, and for 




^^H 


half-length of himself and three- 




^^H 


quarter of H.R.H. the late Duke 




^^^1 


of Gloucester, with frames, pack- 




^^^1 


ings, &c 


154 


^^1 


May a6. Of Ld. Breadalbane (in full), for 




^^1 


pictures and half-length frame . 


75 


7 ^H 


June 4. Of Miss Mellon, as first payment . 


60 


^^1 


S. Of Mr. Raikes, as last payment for 




^^1 


Mrs. Raikes' portrait with a hand. 




^^1 


in addition to the three quarter 




^^1 


put in 


z6 


5 ° ^1 


13. Of Mr. Tatnell (in full), for a pic- 






ture of the two Misses Tatnell . 


52 


10 o ^^1 


Bishop of Chester [Dr. H. W. 




^^1 


Majendie] 


42 


^^1 


Of Mr. Greenwood, for a whole- 




^^H 


length of the Duke of York, 




^^^1 


presented by him to the Military 




^^^1 


Asylum of the Drapers' Company 


126 


^^H 


For a large picture of Lord Nelson 


ZIO 


^^H 


Of Lord St. Vincent, for a portrait 




^^H 


of Capt. Gray .... 


84 

p 


J 





SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 






1 






£ 


s. 


d. 


June 


13. Of Capt. Agar, for portrait of his 






1 




brother. Bishop's half-length 


94 


10 


1 




Of ditto, for a picture of the Soldiers 


21 





° 1 




Of Mr. Brown, for copy of his father 


40 










Of H.R.H. the Duke of York 


270 










Of Mr. Pearee, for three pictures 










of himself [probably Dr. Pearce, 










Master of Jesus Coll, Cambridge] 


'5 


IS 







Of the Duke of Gloucester . 


•5 


15 







Of Mr. Claxton (in full) 


30 


7 





Z! 


152 


Z 







1808. 






^ 






£ 


s. 


d.H 


Jan. 


6. Of Mr. Bolton [? Boulton], for 






^ 




H.B.H. Princess Elizabeth 


S" 


8 


■ 


Feb. 


Of Lord Mulgrave 
21. Of Capt. Agar, as whole price for 


4' 


" 


° 




a lady 


63 










Of Mrs. Cabom [probably wife of 










Ridley Calbome, M.P.] (as halQ. 


21 










Of Mr. Simeon .... 


42 








M.r. 


16. Of Mr. Coventry (as half), for a 
half-length containing two por- 










traits of his daughters 


6i 


10 





Apr. 


9. Of Mr. Pattison [Patteson] (as half). 










for a three-quarter . 


31 










London Hospital, being the last 










payment for two whole-lengths of 










the late and the present Dukes 








^ 


of Gloucester .... 






1 



1^ *" '». \f • • 'Irt 7^ 


■ 


^^1 


BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 


227 ^^H 




£ 


d. ^^^^B 


Apr. 9. Of the Marchioness Sligo (as half). 




^^^^^^H 


for a whole - length of Lord 




^^^^^^H 


Altimont and three-quarter of 




^^^^^^H 


hereelf 


99 


'5 ^^^^B 


22. Of Sir Henry Luahington, for a 






picture of his father. Sir S. 




^^H 


Lushington .... 


42 


^^H 


33. Of Mr. Pattison (as last half). 


21 


^^H 


aS. OfH.R.H.theDukeof Gloucester, 




^^H 


for his sister's portrait 


42 


^^H 


30. Of Lord Gambler (as half), for a 




^^H 


three-quarter portrait of himself 


21 


^^H 


May 13. Of Dr. Dodsworth (as first half). 




^^H 


for half-length of himself . 


42 


^^H 


Of the Marchioness Sligo (as last 




^^H 


half), herself and son. . 


99 


^^1 


21. Of Mr. Simeon, for a three-quarter 




^^^M 


of Mr. Thomason 


42 


^^^1 


30. Of Mr. Sullivan, for half length of 




^^^1 




84 


D ^^H 


June 4, Of Mr. Towers, for three-quarter of 




^^H 


himself 


42 


a ^^H 


6. Of Admiral Coffin, for three-quarter 




^^H 


of himself [i.e.. Sir Isaac Coffin 




^^H 


who adopted the surname of 




^^H 


Greenly, 1811-13 ; see also 1811 




^^H 


entries] 


42 


^^H 


ag. Of Mr Coventry (as last half), for 




^^H 


Miss Coventry's portraits , 


62 


10 ^^H 


j8 Of Dr. Dodsworth (as last half), for 




^^H 


his own portrait, half-length 


4" 


J 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



July 3. Of the Duke of Gloucester, for a 
copy of the Diichew . 
II. Of H.B.H. the Duke of Cambridge, 
fur his own portrait and copy 
ditto for H.R.H. the Duchess ol 
York .... 

Aug. ;■ Of Mr, Coffin, for a copy of Sir B. 
Wntson .... 
19. Of Mr. Gnmbier, for three-quarter 
picture of himself 
Mr, Gambler, for the last half o 
Lord Gambier 
Oct. 5. Of Mr. Hall (in part), for himsel 
and Mrs. Hall . 
24, Mr. Leeds (as half), for a whole 
lengthof M«. L. 
Nov. Of Mr, Ansley, for a portrait o 
himself in the Lord Mayor" 

Of Mr, E, Simeon, for balMength 

of his brother .Tohn . 
Ditto of himself, a half-length, but 

only charged a kit-catt 
Of Mr. Pcarce (in part of frame) 
Of the Marquess of Lansdowne, 

u whole jmce for portrait 

Miss Gifford 



w 




■ 


^H 




BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 


229 H 




1809. 




H 






£ 


H 


Jiin. 


6. Of Mr. Hall (as last half), for Mrs. 




^^1 




Hall and liimseif 


63 


^1 




Of Mr. Brown, for a copy of Dr. 




^1 




Paley 


42 


^1 




20. Of Lord Ormond (in full), for Lady 




^1 




Ormond's whole-length 


'05 


Q ^1 


Feb. 


Of Mr. Pearce, for altering portrait 




^1 




(three-quarter) of himself , 


20 


^1 


Mar. 


Of Mr. Dyke, for a three-quarler 




^1 




with a hand .... 


47 


5 H 




18. Mr. North, three-quarter 


42 






29. Miss Mellon (in full) . 


66 


□ ^1 


May 


3. Of Mr. Bott [? Batt] (in full), for 
the portrait of his Majesty, sent 




H 




to the Duke of Kent at Gibralur 


84 


^1 




Or Lord Cawdor, for a portrait of 




^1 




Mr. Greville, painted by Sir 




^1 




Joshua Reynolds 


5 = 


10 ^1 




15. Of Admiral Markham . 


40 


^1 




18. Of Mr. Myers (as half), for a 




^1 




whole-length— himself and two 




^1 




children . . . . " 


ia6 


^1 




Lady Dufferin (as half) . 


ZI 


^M 




24. Lord Porchester (as half) 


21 


^H 




31. Mr, Foster (as half), for Bishop's 




^1 




half-length of Lady Ferrant and 




^1 




Lady Dufferin .... 


78 


15 ^M 




[This " Mr. Foster " was un- 








doubtedly the Bight Hon. John 




^H 


^ 


Foster, last Speaker of the Irish 




^ 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



House of Commons, and the 
" Lady Ferrant " his wife, Vis- 
countess Ferrard; she was created 
Baroness Oriel, June 5, 1790, 
and advanced Nov. 7, 17971 to 
the dignity of Viscountess Fer- 
rard ; her husband was created 
Baron Oriel in 1821 ; Lady Duf- 
ferin was their only daughter] 

Mr. Brown, for three-quarter of 
Sir R, Preston .... 

Lady Dufferin (last half), for three- 
quarter 

July 7. Of Mr. Eardley, three-quarter 

13. Of Mr. Baugh [? Mr. Isaac Baugh] 

(as last half), for Mrs. Haire's [.=■] 
portrait 

14. Of Mr. Brown (last half), for Sir 

R. Preston, three-quarter . 
Mrs, Cuboam [?CaIborne] (last half) 
Aug, 2. Of Lord Bulkeley (last payment), 
for half-length and servant 
10. Mr. Pettit (first half) , 
Sept. I. Of Admiral Markham (as last half), 
for a half-length jwrtrait 
3. Of Mr. Pettyt (last half), three- 
quarter ..... 
g. Of Lord Porchester 
Oct. 4. Of Mr. Myers (as last payment), 
himself and children [probalily 
Ex. at R.A. 1810, No. ai] 



i I 





^MMRI 


■ 


^H 




BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 


231 ^H 






£ 


^H 


Oct. 


1 1 . Of Gen. Erskine (as half), for Lady 




^^H 




Louisa Erskine .... 


21 


^^1 


Nov 


e. Of Mr. Leeds (last half), for Mr. 




^^1 




[} Mrs.] Leeds .... 


34 


^^M 




24. Of Sir Henry Halford (first halO, 




^^M 




for half-length himself 


42 


^^M 




29. Of Mr. Forin (as halO, for whole- 




^^M 




length himself .... 


84 


^^1 


. Dec. 


29. Of Mr. Vincent, for portrait of His 




^^1 




Majesty 


42 


^^M 




30. Gen.Erskine.last price LadyLouisa 


31 


10 ^H 




^ 


5^4 


10 ^U 




Received for frames, &c. 


181 


17 6 ^H 




Portrait Mr. Greville . 


S2 


10 ^m 


^1758 


17 6 ^M 




1810. 




^H 






£ 


^M 


Jan. 


10. Of Mr. R. Cf Mathew] Boulton, for 
a copy of Mr. Boulton for Mr. J. 
Watt, and also one of ditto for 




■ 




Miss Boulton .... 


147 


^^1 


Feb 


17. Of Mr. Forin (in full) . 

19. Mr. Hesketts [? HeskethJ, three- 


84 


H 




quarter 


42 


^^M 




23. Of Mr. Loftus (half), three-quarter 


21 


^^M 




26. Of Mr. Cochran .... 


21 


^^M 


Mar 


10. Lady de Clifford (as part), for Lady 




^^M 




Albemarle .... 


42 


^^M 


■ 


15. Mrs. Lotlie [? Loftos] (in full) 


21 

■ 


m 



23a 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



Mar. *i . Mr. Ctmftnm, for Mn. C. 

3$. Ditto .... 

Mr. rirrra, for Mr. Oiek«w [? tin. 

Dirkmt) .... 

Mny .|. or Mr. V. Green, for m ntady ot a 

IimKl imM at tJie Britlofa Gullerr . 

5. (If Mr. JWkrth, f(»r twn portrails 

of Mr, I,,»nd MiwiH. 

or BirJ. I.«tMstcr (tti half-price), 

far tlw Duki! »f Gloucester 

1 1 . Of .1. ('iwwitry, F.«},, fiw hia own 

portrnlt .... 

Jmw 7. Of Sir.!, Diickwrtrth . 

iS. or Mr. HKertnn (aa half), I 

whAlr.|(M)|^h nf Iiinwelf . 

1 9. or Mr. Simmmict (m half), for Mrs. 

S,'« portrait, three (juarter, with 

rtiiff hnnit .... 

July 8. or thf Hrv. l>r. Simmondi (m 

ilebl) 

g. or Dr. Bnmaby, for n Imlf-length 

poTtrstt of 0*n. Paoli 
1^. Of Mr I. .SymmondB, for hia o 

portmlt .... 
15. Mr. (Vwhran . . , . 

Anf(. 3. Of Mr, .Symmondii 

7. Of Str T. Bffmard, tor a pictnre of 
Ih^ Riwmling Angel . 
Of Mr, AKt«ll [)'., William Aatell, 
M.P., a IMrcctor of Eaat India 
Co.], for the {lortrait of the 
Pertfnn A tHlmmuxlor . 



Aug.i 



Sept, 



Oct. 



BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 

.. Of Mr. Symraonds, to make up the 
fifty each for two three-quarter 
and twenty for the frames [f] . 36 i 

Of Mr. Egerton (last half), himself 84 

Of Mr. Coventry, for a half-length 
of his son (prices raised) , , 105 

Of Mr. Foster (last half), for Ladies 

Ferraut and Duiferin . 78 1 

Nov. 24. Of Mr. Hallj for a second picture 

of Mrs. H 63 

a6. Of Major Aubrey's Lady (as first 

payment) ..... 100 

Of the Dublin Society, for a whole- 
length of Mr. Foster [doubtless 
the Rt. Hon. John Foster, see 

1809] 2IO 

Dec. 2 1 . Of Mr. Baker (first payment), three- 
quarter , .... 26 
21. Sir A. Hume, for a copy of Rem- 
brandt 52 I 



^2231 12 o 



Jan. aS. Of Mr. Baker (last half), three- 
quarter ..... 
Feb, 32. Of Lord Rous (as first half), himself 
24. Mr. Longlanda, for a portrait of his 

35. Of Mr. Lewis (first), half-length 
taimself 



BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 235 



Aug. 10. Lady Warburton (half-price), two 

pictures .... 

23. Of Mr. Brown, for portrait of Sir R. 

Preston .... 
28. Of Mr. AsteU (as first payment) 
Of Mr. [? Mrs.] Astell . 
Lord Maynard 
Nov. Of Sir J. Reade . 

28. Of Sir I. Coffin-Greenly, three- 
quarter ..... 
30. Of Mr. Cholinondeley (as part), for 
Sir R, Warburton's picture and 

Total for the year 1811 
Of Mr. Payne . 



■ 1987 



Jan. 3. Of Lady Read's whole-length, and 

;£20 over 230 

Feb. 7. Of Capt. Mathews (as first half), for 

Mrs. M 2G 

II. Of Mr. Sault [t.e., William Salte] 

(as first half), three-quarter . z6 
Mar. 10. Of Mr. Roberts (as last paymeEt) . 67 1 

II. Mr. Payne 105 

Apr. 19. Of Mr. Sault (last half). . 26 

27. Of Mr, Hodson (as last price), Mrs. 

Hodson ..... 26 




■•.J. 



rak. >, Of air >t. dirta (■■ _dc if kaK- 



X -^ *. 



1 1 



I I 
: I 

: I 
I 

I 



BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 


m ^H 




£ 


^^1 


Feb. aa. Of Sir J. Leicester, for last pay- 




^^H 


ment of the Duke of Gloucester 


■05 


^^H 


26. Of Mr. Pearse, for two three- 




^^H 


quarter pictures 


105 


^^H 


Mar. 16. OfMr.Wilkins,forhisportrait{half) 


z6 


5 ^H 


May. Of Sir A. Clark .... 


36 


^^H 


19. Of ditto (infull), for a whole length 






in robes of the Bath . 


63 


^^H 


June J r. Of Sir Bellingham Graham (as 




^^H 


half), for whole-length 


•OS 


Q ^^H 


Mr. Sandford (a draft, dated July I, 




^^H 


1813), for last payment of the 




^^H 


Duke of Cambridge . 


S* 


10 ^^H 


July 26. Of Sir J. Reade (as first payment). 




^^H 


himself and sister (owe ^9 los., 




^^H 


being guineas) .... 


150 


D ^^1 


Of Lady Arden, for a portrait of 




^^1 


Mr. Perceval, three-quarter 


52 


10 ^H 


Mr. Lefort [? Lahortel portrait of 




^^1 


his wife 


52 


10 ^^1 


Mrs. Gambier, for two portraits of 




^^1 


Mary and Edward, three-quarter 


•05 


^^1 


and altering her own ditto 


^S 


15 ^H 


Of Sir J. Read (last half) . 


i6j 




Juneaa. Of Mr. Free 


53 


10 ^H 


£ 


335 


10 ^1 


r8i4. 




^1 




£ 


^H 


Of Col. Hamilton, for portrait of 




^^H 


his son 

i 


30 


J 





1 


1 


■ 


^^^ 238 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 






^^^^ 




£ 


s. 


d. ^H 


Sir Thomas Bernard, head of Lady 






^^H 


Cawdor 


25 





^^1 


Mar. 15. Of Sir John Beresford (as first pay- 






^^1 


ment), for Lady B. and child, 






^^1 


whole-length 


■35 


5 


^^1 


Apr. 16. Of Bishop of Chester [G. H. Law], 






^^1 


^^^ for a half-length of himself 


I2« 





^^1 


^^L 33. Of Mre. Powell, for portrait of her- 






^^1 


^^H self, half-length 


105 





^^1 


^^^r Of Mrs. Michlurst f?] (half-pay- 






^^1 


^ ment), for three-quarter 


.6 


S 


^^1 


§ 30. Of Sir H. Agnew (fii-st payment), 






^^1 


r for half-length of his mother 


53 





^^1 


June 6. Of Mr. Torrist'], for half-length of 






^^1 


Mr. Huddleton (first payment) . 


S" 





^^1 


23. Sir B. Graham (last payment) 







a ^^1 


28. Sir J. Beresford (last payment, sent 






^^1 


to Hammersley, 150 [gns.], on 






^^1 


Dmmmond) .... 


"35 


5 


^^1 


July 76 Of Gen, Long, for a portrait of hb 






^^1 


father 


73 


10 


^^1 








^^1 


and something for frame) , 


*5 





^^1 


30. Mr. Thompson, aoo.* 






^^1 


31. Of Lord Hill (first half), for a 






^^1 


whole-length .... 


105 





a ^^1 


Sept. 5. Of Mrs. Micklurst [?J . 


26 


S 


^^H 


12. Of Col, Arhuthnot, for a three- 






^^1 


quarter 


52 


10 


^H 


• Apparenlly a memoranduni rather than a payr 


nent. 


as 


be ^^H 


amoDiit is not carried out la tlie colDmo. 
1 

b 


■ 


■ 


J 



BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 239 



Sept. 1 3. Of Mr. [or Mrs.] Brook (in part of 
£1 26), for a naked boy as St, 

Oct. 12. Of Mr. Lane (as half), for himself, 
whole-length for the Goldsmiths' 
Company, to whom he was clerk 
thirty years . . . . i 
Nov. 19. Of Mr. Lane (the last payment) . i 
Dec, r4. Of Lord Beresford (by the hands of 
Arthur Macdonald, Esq.), for a 
portrait of Lord Wellington 
18. Of Mr. Brooke, in part-payment of 
Master B.'s portrait 

rSis- 

Jan. 6. Of Mr. Torris [?], for Mr. Hudles 
ton (last payment) 

10. Duke of Gloucester 
13. Of Miss Bnlloch, for Capt. Watson 
a6. Of Mr. HuddlestoM, a three- 
quarter of himself 

27. Of the Freemasons (in part of 200 
[gs.]), for H.R.H. the Duke 

Kent 

Feb. 2. Of Lord Hill (bill, 30 days' date, 
Jan. 26, ^152 5s.), for picture 

11. Of Col. Grey (half-price) 
Mar. 9. Of Mr. Long 

37. Of Mrs. Tower (as half), for Capt. 
Tower .... 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



Watkins (as half), for a 
- quarter picture, painted 
years ago, and ditto, for 



i. Watkins,and whole-p 



efor 



L 



e-pnce 

his own ditto, painting at this time 
20. Of Mr. Long .... 

i8. Of Mr. Davis, for a three-quarter 
portrait of himself 
May 8. Of Mr. North, for a copy of Dr. 
Harriscm ..... 
15. Of Lord Selsey, for a portrait of his 
son, Capt, Peachey (halO . 
Of Mr. Phipps, for a picture of the 
Battle of Constantine . 
June 10. Of the Hon. Capt. King, a three- 
quarter of himself 
ig. Of Lord Selsey, for Bishop's half- 
length of Miss Peachey (being 
half-price) ..... 
July. Lady Owen (halQ .... 
Mr. Blades (half) .... 
Mr. Gooch (half) .... 
19. Of Mrs. Towers (Ust half), of Capt. 

Towers 

Aug. Of the Freemasons (as part-pay- 
ment), for the portraits of 
T.H.H. the Dukes of Kent and 

Sept. Of Mr. Brooke (being the whole), 
for the little St. John (frame 
still due) 



31 o o 




BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 

Sept. i8. Of Freemasons, for the porttaits of 
T.R.H. the Dukca of Kent and 
Sussex . . , , . 1 zo 

Oct. 3. Of Mr. Blades (last half) . 26 

Nov. 3. Of Lady Berwick, for portrait of 

Lady Bosworth, half-length . 50 

II. Of Sir Thomas Bernard (as half), 

for Lady Bernard ... 63 

Dec. Jtfr. Palmer (half), for three- 
quarter 16 






1816. 

(Last half) Mr. Palmer . 
Of Mr Mftkepiece .... 
5, Of Lord Berwick .... 
Lord Selsey (in fuU), for Capt. and 
Miss Peachey .... 
10, Of Mr, Picton, for a portrait of 
Sir Thomas Picton, who fell at 
Waterloo ..... 
12, Of Sir Andrew Agnew, as last pay- 
ment for Mrs. Agnew 
15. Of Sir T. Bernard (as last half) , 
Of Sir R. Preston, for a copy of 
Mr. Brown , , . . 
7. Of Sir R. Preston, a three-quarter 
of himself , . . , , 
Of Mr. Watkins, for copy 
35, Of Wm. WUkins, for a copy of Mr. 
WUkins 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



L 



June I. Of Sir Robert Preston, for a copy 
of Lady Preston, a three-quarter 
picture . . . . , 5a 1 
4. Of Mr. Palmer, for portrait of the 
Rev. Mr. Prince, a three-quarter, 
bought by the Conimittee of the 

Magdalen a6 

22. Capt. Welbank, for a copy of Mr. 

Brown's portrait 51 1 

July 16, Of Lady Owen ... 52 1 

17. Of Gen. Wetherall ... 15 

18. Of Gen. Wetherall (in full), for his 

portrait, no frame . . 27 ; 

Of Mr. Harrison, for Mr 
jwrtrait (in full) and frar 
29. Of Sir Robt. Arbuthnot, for portrait 
of Lady A. and hei children's 

pertraibi 

Aug. Of Mr Grenvill (in part), for Mr. 
Collins's portrait, half-length 
17. Of the Counters of Loudoun and 
Moira, for a whole-length of her- 
self 

19. Of Mr. Grey (for Col. McMahon.on 

account of H.R.H. the Prince 
Regent), for a portrait of Mr. 

Penuval 53 iO,H 

JO. Mr. Gooch (last half), for a half- 
length of Mrs. Gooch 
Oct. 2S- Of the Rev. Dr. F. Piggot (as half- 
price), for a three-quarter . 



1 



BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 

;. Of Mr. Graham (hs last half), for 

the Rev; Dr. F. Piggott ; 26 

\. Of Sir Robert Arbuthnotj for two 
three-quarters of Prince Blucher 
and the Hetman Platoff, for Lord 
Beresford 105 



^"431 



iSij. 

4. Of Mr. Gordon (in part), for a 
whole-length of himself 

30. Ditto 

I. Of Mr. Hall, for a copy of Gen. 

13. Of Mr. Graham, for a copy of a 
drawing, by Downman, of Mrs. 
Piggott (half) .... 

19. Ditto [last half) .... 
Of Mr. Graham (for the remainder 
sum due), for the half-length [?] 
portrait of Mr. Collins, a picture 
voted by the [Parish of] Marabone 
[.'' Marylebone] , , . . 
■. 9. The Bishop of Ely [Dr. B. E. 
Sparke] (first half), Bishop's half- 
length 

II. Of Capt. Beresford (as half), for 
himself and sisters, three-quarter 

ao. Of Mr. Gordon [the £25 is 
apparently scratched out] . 



£ '■ J: 



p» 


SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 


■ 


■ 






£ '■ 


<1. 


^^H 


t^. Of Col. Beresford (last halQ, for 
himself and Mrs. [Misses] Beres- 




d 


^^^B 


ford, three-quarter 


52 10 


^ 


^^ Apr. 


I. Of Mrs. Evelyn Pulteney, for half- 






i^ 


length of herself . 


126 





P 


3. Of Mr. [Watts] Russell, for a Kitt 








Katt of himself (as half) . 


39 7 


6 




[I. Of Mrs. Gosling (as half), for a 








half-length of her two daughters 








and three-quarter of her own 


los 







15. Of Mr. Coutts. for a portrait of 








himself and a copy of ditto 


loS " 





M., 


6. Of Mr. Gordon (last payment), 
for whole-length; also frame, 








£Z^ los 


52 10 







14. Of Mr. Wilton, for a copy of Mr. 








Collins, half-length . 


loS 







12. Of Mr. Watts Russell (as last half), 








for his own portrait, Kitt Katt . 


39 7 


6 




Also for a small picture of Venus . 


21 







24. Of Mra. Coutts, for a portrait of 








herself 


52 10 


D 


June 


II. Of Mr. Harkwright [.' Arkwright] 
(as first payment), for himself 
and Mrs. Harkwright, three- 








quarter 


51 ID 





Aug. 


8. Of Mrs. Gosling (as last payment), 
for the Miss Goslings, and three- 








quarter of Mr. W. Gosling 


105 





S.pl. 


2. Of the Prince Regent, from the 
Lord Chamberlain's Office, for 


J 





■ 


^^«i^^^^^W^^^^^T 


1 


l|^H 




BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 


245 ^H 






£ 


^^1 




altering the large picture of his 




^^^H 




Majesty on horseback, &c. 


105 


^^^1 


Sept. 


4. Of Mr. Coutts (as halO, for a 




^^^1 




whole-length of Mrs. Coutts 


lOJ 


^^^1 




Of Mr. Watkins, for a copy done 




^^^1 




betore 


25 


^^^^^^H 




6. Of Sir — Stuart (as first payment), 








for Miss Stuart's {both in one 




^^^^^^^1 




picture), Bishop's half - length 




^^^^^^^M 




{owing the shillings to make it 




^^^^^^1 




guineas) 


go 


^^^H 




22. Of Mr. Braham .... 


too 


□ ^^H 


Nov. 


4. Of Sir Thos. SUnley (as hnIO, for a 




^^H 




half-length of himself . 


52 


to a ^^H 


Dec. 


2. Of Mr. Fredk. Noel (as half), for a 




^^H 




Bishop's half length of Mrs. Noel 


63 


^^H 




Omitted — Prince Regent's por- 




^^H 




trait of Mr. Percival . 


5^ 


to ^^H 




Marquis of Anglesea 


5= 


10 ^^^1 




Received for frames, packing-caseo 




^^^1 




&c 


129 


^^M 


Z^ 


1070 


^ ^H 




18 1 8, 




^^1 






£ 


^^M 


Jan. 


I. Of the Bishop of Ely (as last half). 




^^^M 




for his own portrait . 


63 


^^^M 




16. Of Mr. Coutts, for a picture of 




^^^M 




Lord Erskine. three-quarter 


S' 


10 ^^^1 




ag. Of Sir George Campbell, for 




^^^M 




Bishop's half-length of himself . 


■ 


^^^1 



^^^^^46 


1 


SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 


1 


1 


■ 


^^^ 




Of Mr. F. Noel (as last half), for 








r 




Mrs. Noel . ■ . . . 


63 








L 




Sir George Campbell (last half), for 








^^^H 




his o*n portrait. 


63 








^^^b 


4 


Of Capt. Grey (as last payment) 








^^^V 




for a Kitt Katt of himself . 


5' 


10 





^^ Apr. 


lO 


Of Mr. Eardley (as last half), for a 








P 




Kitt Katt of Sir CuUin Smith . 


39 


7 


6 


1 




Of Sir John Leach, for a three- 








' 




quarter (first half) 


26 


S 









Of Mr. Gosling (first half) . 


26 


5 









Of Mr. Coutts (as last half), for 












Mrs. Coutts' whole-length . 


•05 








May 


S 
6 


Of Sir J. Leach (as Inst halQ . 

Of Mr. Ferguson, for a three- 


16 


5 


° 






quarter portrait of himself . 


5a 










lo 


Of the Princess Mary, for a 












Bishop's haif-length . 


116 












Of H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester 












(ashalf),foraBishops half-length 


63 










•5 


Of Mr. Andrews (for last half), for 
Mi.is Stewart's portraits, painted 












for Mrs. Coutts .... 


94 


10 









Of — Curzon, for two copies of 












Lady Sligo (overpaid by ^5 by 












misUke) 


110 










29 


Of Mr. Forrestier (as half), for a 
whole-length of himself (wanting 












shillings) [to make ^105] . 


100 








June 


i 


Ditto, for first payment of Lady 








f 




Catherine 


110 

■ 




■ 


m 



B 


' * '^^^^^^^^^^H^^^^^B^flB 


1 


I^H 




BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 


247 ^^1 






£ 


^^1 


June 


4. Of Lady Stanley (as halO, for her 




^^^1 




Ladyship's portrait, half-length . 


5^ 


lo ^^^1 




S. Of Mr. Eardley (as last payment). 




^^^1 




for Sir Cullin Smith, Kitt Katt 


39 


7 6 ^H 




Of Mr. Pedley, for a portrait of 








Miss Lee, Kitt Katt (in part) 


5° 


^^^1 


Jaly 


z. Of Mr. Grenfell {for a part of 
loo guineas), to finish a picture 




H 




of Mr. Hoppner'a 


5^ 


to ^^^1 




18. Of H.R.H.theDukeofGloucester 




^^^1 




(as last payment), his own por- 




^^H 




trait ...... 


63 


a a ^^^1 




Of Mr. Greenwood, for the last 




^^^1 




payment of Mr. Collins' portrait. 




^^^1 




for the Parish of Marylebone 


3> 


10 ^^^1 


Aug. 


4. Of H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, 
for the portrait of H.R.H. the 
Duchess (as half for a whole- 




B 




length) 


'05 


^^^1 




14. Of Sir Henry Dashwood (as last 




^^^1 




half), for his family, painted 




^^H 




twenty-five years ago 


41 


^^^1 




Mr. Grenf<>U,for finishing a picture 




^^H 




of Hopner's .... 


52 


10 ^^H 


Oct. 


Of H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge 




^^H 




(as last half) .... 


•05 


^^^1 




Ditto, for a copy of the Duke of 




^^^1 




Cambridge, for the Duke of 




^^^1 




SUSBCK 


5= 


10 ^^H 


Nov. 


17. Of Mr. Pedley (last half), for Miss 




^^H 




Lees: Kitt Katt . . . 


50 


"A 


^^^^H 




^H 


^^^^^^^^^^1 



^^Illlllll[ 


■ 


3 


r- 


^H STR WTLUAM BEECHEY 


£ •- 


^Pk 4- Of Mm M«the«o [or M*then| (u 








31 la 


g 


^B 13. Sir ThntiuH StanW, fur himeif 






■ nnri [»dT StmlKV 


100 


o 


B A'^sa >o 





^B 1819. 




— 


Hk 6. or Sir a B«r«kr (» haVt. for 


X' 1- 


a. 






H^ tbt«»'<lBwt«rof!i»«elf . 


31 10 







3r lo 





^^t ,4. Mr Ainnh^ (« half) 


31 to 


a 


■^' ,7. Of I.»fTl [rStr T] T- Stnler <m 






^M full), for the portraits of hiBKlf 






■ UMltlHlr - . . . 


i> S 


10 


■ M. Of Sir P»rv (u luif), in BUtof)'. 






■ h*ir-Initg:th (pric« raiMd> . 


S, .5 





■ Mr \Tothrr {£40. mb imtt htUU for 






^B himiKlf, thrptt r|iMrtcr 


Ji to 


a 


Khr IS- Of A*hbm Smith (» ImK). for Mr. 






HT^ L«iM<it^« ftictHre, h«lf-l«igtli . 


63 


a 


■ ,8. Of Sir Ctwrla Poole (•• luU), 






■ Kitt K«tt 


*7 5 





H The Dnchw of Dorwjt (in p»t>. of 












H Ipngth, in h«K-l«ngth eanras (doe 






H n« hntf-pricr, ^4 Ss.) 


8s 





H jj. Of t-fent. Perry (in p<«rt). Bishop't 






H hflif lenffth .... 


105 





^Lltir ro Of flie Marchinnew of Abercorn 
H («!! linlQ, for Miw CNinplwII 










■ (helng/;! «5«-o«fhRlO . . 


50 


i 





BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 


249 ^W 




£ 


^1 


April 12. Of Lady Fitzherliert (as part). 




^^1 


three-quarter (;£8 los. over) 


40 


^^1 


15. Of Col. Stephenson, for H.H.H. 




^^1 


the Princess Augusta, half length 


105 


^^1 


26. Of Mr. Littleton (as half), for Mrs. 




^^1 


Littleton 


105 


^^1 


27. Of Mr. Eardley, for a picture of 




^^1 


of Miss T>visslon[>] as "Hebe" 


315 


^H 


May 19. or Mr. W. BlomBeld (as halO, 




^H 


three - quarters (overpaid. 




^^1 


£1 los.) 


33 


^^1 


Of the Rev. Mr. Turner, for three- 




^^1 


quarter himself .... 


63 


^^1 


June I. Of Mr. C. Baseley (first jjayment— 




^^1 


due,i:iio..) .... 


30 


^^1 


14. Of Mr. Forester, for Lady C. and 




^^1 


himself (last half) 


210 


^^M 


ig. Of Mrs. Caithrow (as half), herself. 




^H 


half-length .... 


cs 


12 6 ^H 


22. Lady Harriet Windsor (as halO, for 




^H 


three-quarter, herself 


3' 


10 ^H 


26. Mr. Pulteney, for a Bishop's half- 




^^1 


length himself .... 


157 


10 ^^1 


July S. Of Mr. Blomefield (last halO, 




^^1 


three-quarter himself (in full) . 


30 


□ ^^1 


Aug. li. Mrs. Plowden (as half) for the 




^^1 






^^1 


ture, half-length 


97 


2 6 ^H 


Mrs. Caithrow .... 


es 


12 ^H 


1 3 f . A. Smith, for Mr. Leyeester (in full) 


6S 


; ^H 


Sir Thos. Poole (in full) 

1 


47 


5 ^H 



^PH 


1 


■■mm 


1 


1 


■ 


250 




SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 


£ 




^ 


Oct. 


12. 


Of Mr. Parry (as last payment), for 
Lieut. Parry (to be paid Nov, 10 






■ 






to bankers) .... 


S' 


10 


• ~ 


Nov 


3- 
■5. 


Mrs. Plowden (as last half) . 

Of the Marquis of Aiiglesea, for 


97 


* 








Mr. Leicester .... 


ij6 








^^ 


29 


Of Mr. Inglis, for the portrait of 






U 


^^^H 




Miss Robertson, three-quarter . 


63 







^^^H 




Sir Henry Fitaherbert (as last half), 






° ■ 


r 




for Lady F. and frame, &c. 


23 





"M 


£22g6 


15_ 


-m 


f 




iSao. 


£ 


B. 


M 


Feb 


»3 


Of Mr. Leicester, for a three- 












quarter portrait of himself 


'3 


a 


°l 




96 


George [? Beechey], for Lady 












Waldegrave .... 


5= 





°l 


Mar 


3 


Mr. Slade (for the first payment). 












for Alderman Thorpe 


;8 


'S 


°l 




26 


Of Mrs. Gosling, for Mr. Robert 












Gosling (last half) 


16 


5 


°l 


Apr 




Lord Anglesey (first half), three- 












quarter, himself . 


31 


10 


° 1 




'5 


Mr. CoQtts, for a three-quarter 












copy of Mr. Crawford 


63 





°l 


May 


" 


Lady Cosen [.'] .... 
Of Lady Miiyn««i (for first pay- 
ment), of a Kitt Katt of Mrs. 


30 


° 


1 






Woodford 


S" 





°H 




24 


Mr. Leake (for half), Sir G. Noel, 








L 


■ 


three-quarter .... 


31 
■ 


■ 


J 



BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 

£ 

May 28. Mr. Scarlett (as half, £2 123. 6d. 

due) 15 1 

June 5. Lord Aylesbury (last half) 31 1 

12. Mrs. Meyrick (as half), for Misa 

Fuller as "Una- ... 89 
July 3. Of Mr. Pragser (last half), for his 

own portrait 78 I 

14. Of S. H. Cnrew (a bill, dated 
June 28, three months, due 

Oct. i) 29 

Also ^15 15 

22. Of Mr. Leake, for Sir Gerard Noel 

(last half; ditto frame, ^10 los.) 31 I 

24. Of Mr. Pulteney, for himself — 

Mrs. Chier 31 1 

Aug. 2. Of Capt. Fowler, for his father — 

23. Of Mrs. McClintock, for three- 

quarter of herself . 63 i 

George [? George Beechey] . . 21 
Mrs. Hart (as half), for her 

daughter . 5^ 1 

Sept. I. Of Lady Chambers (as half), for a 

little girl 65 i 

28. Of Lady Ranelegh, for a portrait of 

Lord Ranelegh .... 63 
31. Of Mrs. Meyrick (as last half), for 

Misa Fuller .... 89 
Of Mr. Feardall [?] (^^52 los., due 

Oct. 9) 52 I 

Nov. Of Mrs. Hart, for a portrait of Miss 

Reading (last half) . , 52 i 



^^4r*-j 



V *• i-'crmoK 



f*^ ;>«t7 ibvM^ia^j^ W ——T I C 

Im* Irf^ fMrawMf, far * ffciif » 





^^^^^B^W^^^^5^^ 


■ 


■H 




BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 


^^H 






£ 


^H 




half-length of herself and the 




^^H 




Princess Victoria 


ito 


^^M 


Aug. 


I. Of Mr. Moray {as half), for portrait 




^^M 




of Mrs, Moray, Kitt Katt . 


47 


5 ° ^H 




Mrs. Lyon(aslasthalf),three-quarter 


31 






3. Of Mrs. Bewick (by notes, due 




^^1 




Aug. 30) 


47 


5 ° ^H 




22. Of Mr. Erskine (as half), himself. 




^^H 




three-quarter .... 


31 


10 ^^M 


Sept 


9. Of Mr. Moray (last payment), for 




^^M 




Mrs. Moray 


47 


5 ^H 


Oct. 


8. Of Mrs. Morgan, for a small 








picture (as halQ 


15 


15 ^H 




16. Of Lady Read, for Miss Read's 




^^H 




picture (altering, &c.) 


31 


10 ^^M 




36. Of Mrs. Morgan (last half) . 


•5 


15 ^H 


Nov 


3. Of Mrs, Gooch |(as part of head, 
half-price, and frame — remains 








due, jTie 13s. 6d.) . 


21 


10 ^^1 




9. Of Mr, Long, for Mrs. Long (by 




^^1 




bill for 90 days for £60) 


63 


^^M 




2$. Of Mr. Poynder, for a three- 




^^M 




quarter portrait of Mrs. P, 


63 


^^1 




30. Of Mr. Poynder (as half-price), for 




^^1 




himself 


31 


10 ^H 


1670 


10 6 ■ 




1822. 




^1 






/: 


^H 


Jan. 


Of Mr. Poynder (as last half), for 




^^H 




himself and Mrs. P. . 


3' 


J 



254 


1 


SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 


1 

£ 


1 


1 


Jan. 


i6 


, Mr. Erskine (last half) . 


3> 


10 


^1 


Feb. 


13 


Of the Duchess of Dorset, for the 
remainder of the Lady Delawarr 






H 






portrait 


93 


10 


^1 




20. 


Of H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent 






^1 






(the remainder half), for H.R.H. 






^H 






and the Princess Victoria . 


110 


5 


^^1 




■5. 


Of Sir R. Arbuthnot (by bills) 


!86 




^H 




2&. 


Of the Marquis of Aylesbury, 






^H 






three-quarter portrait 


63 





^1 


Mar. 


' 


Of the Viscount Lowther, for 
finishing the whole-length por- 
trait of Mr. Hoppner of himself 






1 






(as half) 


'3" 


S 


^H 


Apr. 




Of Mr. Tibbit (as half), for a 
whole-length of his daughter 






H 






[? wife] and child 


i6s 


'S 


^H 


May 


IS. 


Of Mr. Braham (last price), for 






^H 






Mrs. B. and children (owes £5) . 


10s 





^H 


June 


6. 


Of Major Cowel (in part), for Mrs. 






^H 






Cowel's portrait, Kitt Katt 


20 





^H 




8. 


Of Mr. Tibbit (as last half), for 






^H 






Mrs. Tibbit and child 


161 


IS 


^H 


Jdy 


4. 


Of Mr. Dowdeswell, for a portrait 






^H 






of the Marquess of Anglesea 


63 





^^1 






And frame .... 


7 


7 


^H 




>3. 


Of Sir J. Owen, for frames, pack- 






^H 






ing-case, &c 


34 


8 


4 ^M 






Of Mrs. Gooch (for the remainder). 






^M 






for a three-quarter (half-price. 






^M 


f 


1 


being small) .... 


16 
■ 


S 

■ 


6 ^M 




H.B.H. THE urCHKBS OK VORK 
From the original poitrnit 



BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOKS 
L 

July 16. Of Mr. Every (in part), for his own 

portrait 50 

24. Of Mr. Wm. Bonks, as a loan to 
Henry [i.e., H. W. Beechey], in 
order to enable him to prosecute 
his discoveries in Africa . . 100 
Of Mr. Rignall (as half-price), for 
a whole-length of Mrs. W. 

Martin 131 

27. Of Mr. Blakes, three-quarter (old 

P"»:e) S2 

Aug. 6. Of Sir J. Beresford . ■ ■ 75 

Sept, lo. Of Mr. Nollekens, for a portrait of 

Miss Chambers .... 50 

Oct. 7. Of Mr. Wyndham Martin, as last 
half audtwowhole-length frames, 
one for Mrs. W. Martin, and one 

for a picture of . . . 201 

16. Of Mr. Worthington, for a portrait 

of Mrs. W., with hands . 73 

Dec. 24. Of Major Cowel (owes ^4 los.) 70 



,^1921 IS 10 



1823. 

Jan. 3. Of Mr. Ward, for himself and Mrs. 

Ward 

Feb. 24. Of Mrs. Gosling (as half), for Mr. 
Bennett Gosling 
32. Of Mr. Nollekens. 



2S6 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



r 



Mar. 15. Of Mr. Worthington. for traraes 

Of Mr. Duiidiis, for first payment of 

his portrait .... 

Apr. 10. Of Mr, Perceval, for two copies of 

the late Spencer Perceval and 

the frame ..... 

28. Of Mr. Goodrich [?] 

May zi. Of Mr. Dundas (lust half) 

33. Of the Marquis of Chandos (due 

odd shillings and frame) . 

37. Of the Duke of Buckingham, for 

the Duchess of B.'s picture and 

packing-case .... 

July. Of Mr. Claridge, three- quarter 

himself ..... 

Aug. II. Of the Vice-Chancel!or[.> Leach] . 

Of Mr. Marchbanks, for a portrait 

of Miss Trotter (with a hand) and 



fram 



Sept. 



18. Of Charles Spencer 
Of Sir G. Jemingham 
Mr. Tibbit, frame, packing, Cic. 
1 1. Of Mr. Merrimaii, for frame, pack< 
ing-case, &c. 
Of Mr. liOwndes (in part of pay 
ment), whole-length . 
25. Of Mr. Lowndes (as last half), him 
self, and half-price for his fathe: 
I. Of Goodrich 

Mr. Lowndes, a present to Sir Wm 



9 a| 



■ 


1 


■■IHH 


I 


^H 






BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOK 


257 ^H 






1824. 


c 


^1 


Feb. 


6 


Mrs. Rothschild [?]... 


150 


^^H 


Apr. 


27 


Of Mr. Goodrich .... 
Of Mr. Riddle .... 




" ^^1 


May 


3 

6 


Of Wm. Wilkins, for a copy of Mrs. 

Wilkins and child, for his sister . 
Of Mr. Duncombe (as half), for 

Mrs. Duncombe 
Of Mr. Turner, for a sketch of 

Vandyke 


52 

!2 




June 


14 


OfSir Richard Joddrell 
Of Mr. Duncombe (as last pay- 
ment], for Mrs. Duncombe 


131 

52 


5 ^H 






Of Lady Forbes {as half) 


31 


10 ^^1 




24 


Mrs. Desborough .... 


3» 


■ CI ^^1 


Aug. 


4 


Of Mr. James [?] (as half), for 




^^1 






Mrs. Manning .... 


26 


5 ^H 




9 


Of Mr. Lowndes, for a portrait of 




^^1 






his daughter .... 


63 


^^1 


Sept 


1 


Of Miss James [f] (last half), Mrs. 




^^H 






Manning 


26 


5 ° ^H 


7 


'51 


^H 






.825- 


c 


^H 


May 


S. 


Of Mrs. Peyton, for three-quarter . 
Of Mr. Hemmins (as half), for 


(53 


H 






three-quarter himself . 


3> 


10 Q ^^1 




12 


Of Mr. Savill Only (as last halQ, 




^^1 






for his own portrait (the other 




^^1 






half having been paid at 




^^H 


1 


1 


Norwich), half-length 


64 

R 

■ 


2 6 ^^1 



258 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

Mmj 16. or Ml. BendUh (u fint WO, 

htmNelf, thrcc-qaarter 
14. Of Sir Rd. Jodrell (as Ust tulf), for 
I^y Jodrell .... 
14. Of Mr. BendUh (as but half) 
16. Of Mr, Every {£27 in re«t of bill 
due to Sir Wm.) 
June 1 1. Of Rev. Mr. C. H. Preatoo (aa 
hall), for whole-length of his lady 
18. Of Mr. Ward (as half) . 

Of Mr. Vernon (part of 60 guineas) 

Sir J. Ashhjr (in part) . 

July. Of Mr. Rothe« [or Rhodes] {as first 

part), hia own portrait 

13. Of P. P. Rgerton (as halO, for a 

copy of the late Sir J. Egerton, 

three-quarter .... 

Of Mr. Lowndes (in full), for fats 

father'* portrait and a copy of his 

•Jaughlcr 

»7. Of Mr. Ward (as last halO 

Of Mr, Buxton, for (half-price) 
Miss Cholmondelj', whole-length 
Aug, 4. Mm. Norton, hatMength 
Oct. 18. Of Cfn. Wethcrell (as first pay- 
ment), for Miss W. . 
Nov, 14. Gen. Wetherell (last half), for Miss 

Wetherell, three-quarter . 
Dec. Of Sir P. Egerton (in full) . 



£ •■ d. 



;;i498 'o 6 



i 





HH 


BEECHEY ACCOUNT BOOK 259 ^| 


1826. 






£ ^. d 


Jan. 19. Of Mr. Rhodes (for the last price), 




two whole-lengths 


162 10 


21. Of Mr. Buxton, for Mrs. Buxton . 


'35 5 


Mar. 3. Of Sir John Ashby (last halO. 


7S i 


JO. Mr. Burgess, for a copy of Mrs. 




Sheridan [by Sir J. Reynolds], 




intended for the late R. B. 




Sheridan, Esq 


178 10 


June 3. Of Capt. Kingston (as balO 


3' 10 


May 28. Of Mr. Lowndes (on account) 


21 10 


June J. Of Col. Edwanls, for a Bishops 




half-length of Mr, Ashton Smith, 




for the Corporation . 


■57 1° 


27. Of Lady Buckinghamshire (as half). 




for whole-length on a Bishop's 




half-length 


89 5 


Aug. Of Mr. Kits, for three-quarter 


63 


Oct. ;. Of Lord Ailsbury (as half-price), 




for Lady Ailsbury 


13' 5 ° 


37. Of Mr. Lowndes (on account) 


63 


Nov. 10. Of Mr. Hains (as first payment), 




three-quarter . . . - 


31 10 


Dec. 1 1 . Of ditto (as last payment) 


31 10 


^^1302 10 


[The toUls and the order (not always 


strictly con- 


secutive) of the entries are according to Becchey's own ^^^ 


arrangement.] 


_J 



w 



r 



APPENDIX 

PICTURES EXHIBITED BY THE BEECHEY FAMILY 

The ensuiug lists contain, it is believed, a full and com- 
plete enumeration of all the portraits and other pictures 
sent by Sir William Beechey, his wife and their children, 
to the various public exhibitions in England. These lists 
might be considerably extended, seeing that several of 
Sir William's grandchildren and great-grandchildren con- 
tinue up to the present day (and in other names) to 
exhibit pictures. It has been considered advisable to 
come down no farther than his children, who are here 
included because many of their portraits and other works 
have been confused with those of their father. The 
period covered by these entries is just over a century, from 
1 776, when Beechey himself first exhibited at the Academy, 
to 1877 when It. B. Beechey was represented at the 
Academy by a picture of the North Polar Expedition. 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY'S EXHIBITS AT 
THE ROYAL ACADEMY 
1776. At Mr. Le.*der'b, Cross Stkeet, CAaNABY 
Maiikkt. 
20. A smalt portrait. 
ao.« Ditto. 

* To be disposed of. 



r 162 


SIR WILLIAM BEECHEV 1 


1 '777 


Thomas Court, King Street, Golden SttfABE. 


... 


Two small portraits. 


■ 1778. 


No. I Chapel Cocbt, Kikg Street, Golden i 


^K 


SauAfiE. ^^ 


■ .. 


Two small portraits. ^^M 




1779. Same Address. ^^^H 


^H 


A gentleman, a email whole length. ^^H 


^m 


A conversation. ^^^| 


H 


jSo. No. 25 Cumberland Street, Middlesex \ 




Hospital. 


^P 


Portrait of a gentleman. 


F 48. 


A lady playing on a harp. 


1 "3. 


A family. 


r 366 


Portrait of a gentleman. 




1781. Dean Street, SoHO. 


322 


Portrait of a gentleman. 


"3S- 


Portrait of an officer (Mr. Lloyd). 




1782. No. 12 Castle Stkeet, Oxford SrHEtT. 


BOS 


A family. 


247 


A lady in the character of Venus, vide 1 vEn. of 




Virgil. 


417 


Portrait of a gentleman. 


[i 783. For exhibits this year at Society of Artists see | 




p. a 79.] 1 




1785. NOEWICH. ■ 


izS 


Witch of Endor. 1 


m 168 


Portrait of a clcrgj-man, small whole length. ^fl 



T 


■■PHIPVI^H 




APPENDIX 263^^^^H 


170. 


. Portrait of a gentleman, small whole length. ^^^| 


183. 


Portrait of a gentleman, kit-cat [.' George Maltby]. ^^^M 


242. 


Portrait of a clergyman. ^^^^| 


244. 


Portrait of a lady. ^^^^^M 


38s- 


Portrait of u lady, three quarters. ^^^^^^^^H 


4"5- 


Portrait of an officer, small whole length. ^^^^^^^^^| 


4*7- 


a lady, ^^^^^^M 




^^^^^^ 


16. 


*A gypsy fortune-teller, ^^^^^^^^^| 


18. 


^^^^^^^^^1 


21. 


Portrait of Master Crotch, the celebrated musical ^^^H 




^^^^1 


67. 


Portrait an ^^^^^^H 


68. 


of a gentleman. ^^^^^^^^^| 


no. 


Portrait of a gentleman, small. '^^^^^^^^^M 


til. 


conversation. ^^^^^^^^^| 


200. 


Portrait of a lady, half length [.' Miss Ives]. ^^H 


»39- 


An allegorical picture, painted for the Society of ^^^H 




United Friars in Norwich. ^^H 


1787. ^^ 


No. 10 Chabi.es Stke£t, CovEN-r Gakuem, akd ^^^| 


AFi'En Midsummer at kis Housk, No. 20 Lowkk ^^^H 


Brook Strkl-t, Grosvexor Sqitark. ^^^| 


96. 


Portrait, a small whole length. ^^^| 


1788. 


No. 20 Lower Brook Street, Ghosvek ok Sui^ake. ^^^H 


54-' 


'Lavinia returned from gleaning, vide Thomson's ^^^^| 




"Seasons." ^^^H 


■ 58. 


Portrait of a lady. ^^^| 


,85. 


Portrait of an officer on an outpost in America, ^^^| 




small whole length (Captain Boyce). ^^H 


■ 


* To Ik disposed of. ^^^^^^M 



Hi 


pummii^H 


^^264 


SIR WILLIAM BEECHE^^^^^H 


^^M i83 


Portrait of a lady, small whole length (Mrs. Ives of ^^M 


^^H 


Norwich), ^^M 


H -5 


Portrait of a gentleman (Jeremy Ives, Esq.). ^^M 


■ ^4> 


'Iris, by command of Juno, requests Soronus, the ^^H 




god of Sleep, to send a dream to Alcyone, vide ^^H 




Dryden's " Fables." ^H 


416 


Portrait of a gentleman (Mr. Robinson). ^^H 


424 


'Donna Ment^ia, recovering from a swoon, discovera ^^^H 




the horror of her situation, vide "Gil Bias," ^^M 


429 


Portrait of an artist (Dominic Series). ^^M 




78y. No. 37 Hill Stbeet, Bebkelky Sauare. ^^M 


6 


Portrait of a lady. ^^1 


141 


Portrait of a gentleman (Mr. Herbert). ^^M 


177 


Portrait of a lady. ^^H 


2t>4 


Portrait of a Bishop (Douglas of Carlisle). ^^M 


, ZZ2. 


Portrait of an artist (Mr. Cooper). ^^M 


i 241. 


Portrait of an artist (Mr. Sanby, R. A.). ^^H 


' 3S6- 


Portrait uf a naval officer. ^^H 




1790. Same Address. ^^^H 


' 50. 


Portrait of a young nobleman (Lord Haddo). ^^M 


87. 


Portrait of a nobleman (Lord Macartney). ^^M 


"5- 


Portrait of a nobleman in the dress of the Scottish ^^M 




Society of Archers (Lord Morton). ^^H 


'Sr- 


Portrait of a nobleman (Duke of Montagu). ^H 


212. 


Portrait of a nobleman (Lord StopfonI). ^^M 


; 2S1. 


Portrait of a young nobleman. ^^H 


405- 


Portrait of a young nobleman (Lord Dalkeith). ^^M 


412. 


Portrait of a gentleman. ^^^| 


420. 


Portrait of an artist (Mr. Beechey). ^^| 


L 


* To be disposed of, ^^^| 



APPENDIX 



265 



1791. Same Address. 
52, Portrait of a lady of quality. 

127. A nobleman's family, with a dog. 

205. Portraits of a gentleman's family (Mr. Oddie's). 

257. A gentleman's family, with a (log. 

269. Portrait of a young nobleman (Lord Frederick 

Montagu). 
27[. Portrait of a young gentleman. 
372. Portrait of a gentleman (Robert Wilmol, Esq.) 
423. Portrait of a young lady. 
442. Portrait of a gentleman. 

1792. Same Addqess. 

98. Portrait of a lady [in the index this is put to 
Dupont, and is said to be Lord Barrington]. 

1 1 1. I'ortrait of an artist (Mr. Thomas Sandby). 

142. Portrait of a young gentleman (Mr. Cooper's son). 

166. Portrait of a lady (Lady Herbert). 

317. Portrait of a naval officer (Captain Montgomery). 

407. Portrait of a gentleman (Mr. Greenwood). 

427. Portrait of a gentleman (Mr. Campbell). 

515. Portrait of a nobleman (Lord Herbert), 

537. Portrait of a gentleman (Mr, Meux), 

1793. Same Address. 
39, Portrait of a young gentleman. 

82. Portraits of children relieving a beggar boy (Sir J, 
Ford's children), 
178. Portrait of an officer (Colonel Barry). 
217. Portrait of a lady (Mrs. Burch). 




^■t HW 9tmm 



-■*—:^twrU^* 



UqxSa. C&ik>«. 



• to I* ihpati at. 



APPENDIX 



267 



158. Portrait of a lady (Miss Hadfield). 

188. Portrait of a lady of quality {Lady Young). 

3IO. Portrait of a lady (From E. India: Mrs. Johnson). 

233. Portrait of a lady of quality (Lady Rous). 

298. Portrait of an officer (Captain William Earie). 

3r4. Portrait of an officer (Captain Earle). 

348, Portrait of a gentleman (Mr. Makepeace). 

356. Portrait of a comedian (Mr. Banister, jun.) 

504. Portrait of a gentleman (Mr. Meiix), 

1797. Great Georc.k SxHEtrr, Hanovkr Squark. 

73. Her Royal Highness Princess Amelia, 

80. H.R.H. Princess Augusta. 

91. H.R.H. Prince of Wales. 

9?, Portrait of Her Majesty. 

106. H.R.H. Princess Mary, 

107. H.R.H. Princess Elizabeth. 
150. Portrait of a nobleman (Lord Cardigan), 

165. Portrait of a celebrated actress (Miss Leake, Ihe 
singer). 

196. Portrait of Master Hatch, as marshall's attendant 
at the Montem. 

295. Portrait of a gentleman (Sir John Wodehouse). 

469. Portrait of a gentleman {Mr. Littledale), 
1798. [R.A. Elect.] Same Address. 

i6g. Portrait of Lady Cawdor. 

1 78, His Majesty reviewing the Third or Prince of 
Wales's Regiment of Dragoon Guards, and the 
Tenth or Prince of Wales's Regiment of Light 
Dragoons, attended by H.R.H. Prince of Wales, 
H.R.H. Duke of York, Sir W. Fawcett. General 
and Adjutant-General, and Knight of the Bath, 




am WILUAM BEECHET 

I . . Indtrr 

>' >iJklnrbunr» childica. 

' *-J Umiji. 

' ■iiiwallb. 



. |\Klrail ot' Mr BmitUHt. of Satio. SbAmUutT 

;. I'wUnit m Mr. H»^ tu a Turkiiili dress. 

a uutubv't^ '' ■tliwkc tliilor ui diB'crent cditioiuofthe 
oatal'i^iii., but tbc puttrniU arc tbe laine.] 

i. fwrlwiU 01 M.> llill Mid Lbild 

J. Ur.U-ni-.*oi. 

■;. Hvr R.H. the UuvUe^ *>t York 

;. Tlic KiUf; 

\ Portrait tit Mi> tircctitt uihI 
. I'lirU-iiit i>i Si'^iKV UuHtu)^ 

1601. SAJd> Auuubv. 



/¥■ 



APPENDIX 269 

95. Adoration Portrait of Lady Georgiana Bathurst. 

125. Portrait of Lord Nelson, 

144. Portrait of H.R.H. Prince Augustus. 

168. Portrait of Lady Folkestone. 

3o6. Rebeeca r a portrait. 

'33- Portrait of a lady. 

352. A little girl dressing herself (Miss Home). 

1802. Samk Address. 

13. Mrs, Montagu and her sister decorating the bust nf 
Handel. 

61. Portrait of H.R.H. the Duke of Cumberland. 

79. Portrait of Mrs. Skottowe. 
101. Portrait of Mr. Watt, of Soho, Staffordshire. 
ia3. Portraits of Lady Temple and her son, Lord Cob* 

170. Portrait of Sir William Hamilton. 
192. Portrait of H.R.H. Princess Augusta, 
274. Portrait of Mr. Watts. 

1803. Same Address. 
II. Portrait of Miss Halton. 

55. Portrait of the Right Hon. Earl Romney. 

65. portrait of Sir W. Staines. 
117. Portrait of Mrs. Symonds and family. 
1Z9. Portrait of Her R.H. the Princess Sophia of Glou- 
cester. 

1804. 13 Harley Streei', Cavendish Square. 

6. Hebe. 
15. Psyche. 

22. Portrait of a lady and her children. 
65. Portrait of a lady. 



\ 



270 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

74. Portrait of a gentleman, 
iiT. Portrait of a child picking up shells by the sea^side.l 
416. Portrait of Mr. Heaviside. 

1S05, Samk AmiBKss, 
iz8. The Bishop of Chester [Mnjendie]. 
ibi. Mrs. Spicer. 
171, Marquis of Salisbury. 
178. Miss Mellon in '/'At //on^moon. 
184. Earl St. Vincent. 
ai6. Mr. J. Penn. 
256. An Officer in the Volunteers. 

1807. Samk Addrf^. 
8. Portrait of Mrs. Bates. 

37. Portrait of Sir J. Earl. 

48. Porcriiit of Earl St. Vincent. 

93. Portrait of H.It.H. the Duke of Gloucester. 

107. Portrait of the Countess of Breadalbane. 

1 69. Portrait of the Earl of Buckinghamshire. 

170. Children of Mr. Phipps. 
182. Portrait of Mrs. Langley. 

1808. Sauk AnDEtss. 
57. Portrait of Lord Mulgrave. 
68. Portniit of a lady of quality (Countess of Ormond). 
80. Portrait of a young lady. 

118. H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge ; for the Committ* 

of the Asylum. 
127. Portrait of a lady. 
270. Portrait of a gentleman. 





APPENDIX 27^^^^B 




1809. Same Addhess. ^^^ 


i8. 


Portrait of a lady (Mrs. Leeds). ^^| 


62. 


Portraits of Mrs. and Miss Wetlierell [? Cockerel!]. ^^M 


1^- 


Portrait of Lord Gainbier ^^M 


82. 


Portrait of a nobleman (the young Marquis of 




Sligo). 


93- 


Portrait of Mr. Wilkie. 1 


126. 


Portrait of a lady of quality (Marchioness of Sligo). ^^M 


'47- 


Portrait of Mr. Gumbier. ^^H 


387. 


Portrait of Alderman Ansley, late Lord Mayor. ^^^H 




iSio. Same Apdhess. ^^M 


21. 


Portrait of a gentleman and his children [probably ^^^| 




Mr. Myers and children]. ^^^^| 


38. 


Portrait of a lady of quality. ^^^| 


42. 


Portrait of His Excellency the Persian Ambassador, ^^H 


72. 


Portrait of a lady of quality, ^^^H 


"U- 


Portrait of Mrs. Dickons af, MargariU in the opera, ^^| 




No Song No Supper. ^^H 


147. 


Portrait of a lady of fashion. ^^B 


170. 


Portrait of a nobleman. ^^^H 


.83. 


Portrait of an eminent physician. ^^^^1 




Samk Addkess. ^^^^^^^I 


19. 


^^^^^^^H 


SI- 


Portrait of a nobleman. ^^^^^^^H 


79. 


Portrait of a gentleman. ^^^| 


89. 


Portrait of a lady. ^^H 


99. 


Portrait of His Excellency the Persian Ambassador, ^^H 




in the dress in which he was first introduced to ^^H 




His Majesty. ^^M 


193- 


Portrait of the Countess of Albemarle. ^^H 



SIR Vgim MliBUHHra 






n 



MM 



■ J«, iiii niirii rnimirn 



i 



■ft9> 



^^ iJ^iumi. oCon A. Uhv- 
^ci,,.tiM(U»'t.<>i ■-.iiiiji.ot <|ititji 111 Mahi 



p 


APPENDIX '2^^^^H 




1815. Same Address. ^^H 


97- 


Portrait of Sir P. Warburton. ^^H 


159. 


Portrait of H.R.H. the Duke of Kent (whole ^^H 




^^^^H 


164. 


Portrait of General Sir T. Picton, K.G. ^^^^^H 


238. 


Portrait Kilderbee, Estj. ^^^^^^M 


305- 


CapUin Watson. ^^^^^^| 


3"- 


of Lord Maynard. ^^^^^^^| 




Sami^ Adduess. ^^^^^^H 


1. 


Portrait of the Bishop of Chester (G. H. Law). ^^^^^B 


19. 


Portrait of Lord Hill. ^^H 


37- 


Portrait of Lady Berwick. ^^^| 


83- 


Portrait of Hon. Mrs. Vernon. ^^^^^^H 


88. 


Portrait of Lady Bernard. ^^^^^^^^U 


III. 


Portrait of H.R.H. the Duke ofSussex. ^^^^^H 


129. 


Portrait of Lady Owen. ^^^^^H 


334- 


Portrait of the Hon. CapUin Peachey, whilst Lieu- ^^^| 








having been all night in pursuit of a national ^^^H 








her at break of day in the distance. ^^^| 




1817. S.4ME AdDRESH. ^^^I 


r. 


Portrait of Master Brooks, a child of three years of ^^^| 




as ^^^^^H 


36- 


Portrait of a gentleman. ^^^^^^^^H 


49. 


Portrait of the Marchioness of Hastings. ^^^^^^^M 


»D3- 


Portrait of the Marquis of Anglesea. ^^^^^^| 


173- 


Portraits of Lady Arbuthnot and family. ^^^H 


aoo. 


Lord Exmouth, towards the close of the evening ^^^H 


Il 


ordering the sails of the Queen Charlolle to be ^^H 



- . Y|r ^... .J 



■_^ . _J|-^. 



; ^r2 



r^^ — # . : 



- Ml I 



. ./- ^ 







■M 




APPENDIX 


~ ■ 


198. 


Portrait of Lady Katherine Forester. 




346- 


Portrait of Lady Harrietta Qive. 
1821. Same Address. 


I 


34- 


Portrait of a lady [Miss Fuller] in the 
Una. 


character ^^^H 


86. 


Portrait of a gentleman. 


^^^1 


9o. 


The Birds' Nest. 


^^^1 


186. 


Portrait of the Earl of Aylesbury (i.e., 


Ailesbury). ^^| 


334- 
27. 


Portrait of Hugh Leicester, Esq. 

1822. Same Addiiess. 
Portrait of the Rev. Dr. Foster Pigot. 


1 


66. 


Portraits of H.R.H. the Duchew of Kent and the ^^H 




Princess Alexandrina Victoria. 


^^H 


95. 


Portrait of Sir Ale^iander Cochrane. 


^^H 


23S. 


Portrait of Sir John Beresford. 


^^H 


a88. 


Venus and Cupid — Cupid having lost his arrowB, ^^^| 




&c., at dice with Ganymede, ia 


reproved by ^^^H 




Venus {see Prior's Poems). 


^^^^H 




1823. Same Address. 


^^^^^^ 


29. 


Portrait of Mr. Symmons. 


^^^^^^1 


68. 


Portraits of a lady ami child. 


^^^^^^^1 


157- 


Portrait of a lady. 


^^^^^^^1 


'93. 


Portrait of a young lady. 
Portrait of a lady. 


^^^1 


226. 


Portrait of a lady. 


^^^^^^^1 


439. 


Portrait of Mr. Ward. 

1824. Same Address. 


^^1 


64. 


Portrait of Sir George Cockbum, K.G.C.B. ^^^^^^^^| 


75- 


Portrait of a lady of fashion. 


■ 



^^^276* 


SIR WILLIAM BEECHE^^^^^H 


88 


Portrait a lady. ^^^H 


1 1^4 


Portrait of T. Lowndes, Esq. ^^^^^^^^ 


1 302 


a ^^^^^^^1 


I 


Portrait of a gentleman. ^^^^^^^^H 


H 


1825. Same Addke-ss. ^^^H 


^P 


Portrait of Elisha Dehague, Esq. ^^H 


^ 


Portraits of the lady and daughter of Sir B. P. ^^| 




JodreU, Bart. ^^| 


97 


Portrait of H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester. ^^H 


III 


Portrait of a lady. ^^H 


194- 


Portrait of P. M. Martineau, Esq. ^^^| 


=83 


Portrait of Charles Saville Only, Esq. ^^^| 




1826. Same Addkess. ^^H 


SS 


Portrait of a lady. ^^H 


85- 


Portrait of the Rev. Dr. Davy, D.D., F.A.S., F.R.S.^^| 


104. 


Portrait of Sir George Nayler, Kt., K.G.H., K.T.S.,'^H 




^H 


■3>. 


Portrait of Sir J. Dugdale Astley, Bart., M.P ^^H 


=5'- 


Portrait of a lady. ^^| 




1827. Same Address. ^^H 


86. 


^^1 




" Up the maiden gazed, ^^H 


Smiling B pale &nd terrified deligtit, ^^H 


And seem'd for that lov'd warbler in her breast ^H 


Beseeching mercy. " ^^^ 




— " Lord of the Bright City," p. 73. ^^H 


z. 


Portrait of Captain Schomberg, R.N. ^^| 
Portrait of Maior H. D. CamDbell. ^^H 



439. Portrait of a gentleman. 



■ 


^ . •""^^^^^^^^■^^^^i^^^^^^B 




APPENDIX 277 ^H 




1S28. Same Addkkss. ^^| 


11. 


The Little Gleaner [Miss A. D. Beechey]. ^^M 


SI' 


Portrait of an officer. ^^^H 


60. 


Portrait of Lord Grantley. ^^H 


87- 


Portrait of a lady of quality. ^^H 


146. 


Portrait of the Bishop of Bath and Wells (Law). ^^M 


190, 


Portrait as Flora. ^^H 


405. 


Portrait of Dr. Lamb, Master of Corpus Christ ^^M 




College, Cambridge. ^H 




1829. Same Address. ^^^| 


'5- 


Portrait of Captain Usher. ^H 


43. 


The lady in St. Swithian's Chair, from the first ^^M 




volume of " WaverJey " ^^^| 




" Is it the moody owl that shrieks, ^^H 


Or is it that sound betwixt laughter and scream, ^^H 


The voice of the demon who haunts the stream ? " ^^^| 


ao8. 


Portrait of Charles Dumergue, jun., Esq. ^^^H 


301. 


Portrait of E. H. Baily, Esq., R.A. ^^^^^B 


444. 


Portrait the Rev. Charles Este. ^^^^^H 




1830. Same Address. ^^^^^^^^H 


'S- 


Portrait of a gentleman. ^^^| 


40. 


Psyche ^H 




" Elle remonte enfin les enfers beaucoup plus ^^H 




gaie qu'elle n'y etoit alI6e."— French translation ^^M 




of " Apuleius." ^H 


47 


Portrait of His Grace the Duke of Somerset. ^H 


■ S6. 


Portrait of the Bishop of Ely (Bower E. Sparke). ^H 


>93- 


Portrait of Joshua King, Esq., Fellow of Queen's ^^H 


1 


College, Cambridge; presented by the under- ^^H 



w 


V^^^^^^"^^%^^^^^H^I^^^^^^^^^^^^^H 


^m 278 


SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY ^B 


^H 


graduates of that college, to be placed in their ^^H 


^^B 


^M 




Portrait of the late Chichele Plowden, Esq. ^H 


^H 


Portrait of a gentlemau. ^^H 


■ 


1831. Same Adduess. ^H 


I ''' 


Portrait of His Majesty, painted for the Trinity ^H 




House as Master of that Corporation. ^^M 


^H 


Portrait of Her Majesty, painted for the Corixira- ^| 


^^B 


tion of the Trinity House. ^^H 


■ .^7 


I'orti-ait of William F. Norton, Esq. ^H 


■ .». 


Portrait of the late Lord Mayor (Crowder). ^^M 


P .64 


Portrait of a lady. ^^^H 




183a. Same Address. ^^^^^^| 


87 


Portrait of Viscountess Hood. ^^^^^^H 


'97 


^^^^H 


316 


Portrait Viscount Hood. ^^^^^^H 


254 


of S. [? T.] B. Mash, Esq. ^^^^H 


47& 


Portrait of Dr. Ashburne. ^^^^^H 




1833. Same Addkess. ^^^| 


7' 


Portrait of His Majesty. ^^| 


J13 


Portrait of the Bishop of Chichester (Maltby). ^H 




1834. Same Addhess, ^H 


ao- 


Portrait of Miss Home. ^H 


87. 


Portrait of Miss Wiltdns. ^H 


163. 


Portrait of Mrs. Harkness. ^H 


^^^L 


Portrait of a lady. 


^H 30S. 


Portrait of Archdeacon Wilkins. 



1 


HHPM0BH 




APPENDIX 279 ^^H 




1835. Same Auduems. ^^^| 


67. 


Portrait of Mrs. Herbert N. Evans. ^^H 


i6o. 


Portrait of Sir Charles Scudinore. ^^^H 


zo8. 


Portrait of Miss Emma Robarts. ^^^^^^H 


323- 


^^^^^M 


370- 


^^^^^^M 


392. 


Portrait of Mrs. Charles Storer. ^^^^^^^M 




^^^^^^M 


43- 


^^^^^M 


78- 


^^^^^M 


219. 


^^^^^^^M 


364. 


Sandby. ^^^^^1 


382- ^^ 


Sir William Beechey. ^^^^B 


1837. 2 Hesrictta Steeet, Cavendish SauAHE. ^^^| 


4'- 


Portrait of the late Mr, Parke. ^^^^^^M 


131. 


a ^^^^^^M 


36.- 


a. lady. ^^^^^^^H 


461. 


of Mrs. ^^^^^^H 




lii^i- Sami; Address. ^^^^| 


26. 


Portrait of the late Bishop of Madras (Corrie). ^^^| 




1839. [The Late Sia William Beechey.] ^^^| 


219. 


Portrait of Miss Owen as Psyche. ^^H 


EXHIBITS AT THE SOCIETY OF ARTISTS ^^| 




1785. Mr. BE.4CHEy {*ir}, Noewich. ^^^^B 


3'. 


Portrait a lady, whale length. ^^^^^^^| 


32- 


Portrait of a gentleman, three quarters. ^^^^^^^^H 


k 


Portrait of a family, small whole lengths. ^^^^^^^M 



28o SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 

EXHIBITS AT THE BRITISH INSTITUTION. ] 

1806. 
50. Psyche. 
59. Venus and Cupid, 
14. A view near Margate. 

1807. 

64. Bnvery and Humanity. 

In the first expedition of the British tnx^fl 
to Flanders in the late war the French ' 
pillaged a cottage and left its miserable in-M 
habitants without bread, telling them " theyfl 
ought to think themselves very well off, for the^ 
English were coming, and would not only rob 
but murder them." A party of the Guards 
arrived soon after, and, on learning the treat- 
ment they had received, pulled off their haver- 
sacks and supplied them with what provisionf 1 
they could spare. 38 x 33. 
109. Old man's head (a study). 43x38. 

1S08. 

65. Rustic ruminating. 15x1;. 
169. View near Southend, Essex. 15x31. 
194. View of Leigh, from the hamlet of Pri 

Southend, Essex. 36 x 32. 
Z02. View at Southend, Essex. 26 x 32. 
329. A monk at his devotions. 41 x 36. 



P 



43. Hebe feeding the eagle of Jupiter. 7 
54. Venus and Cupid (a study). aS x 23 





APPENDIX 281 ^^M 


75- 


Venus and Cupid (a study). 28x23. ^^^^^^^| 




.S13. ^^^^H 


9'. 


Cottagers returning thanks to Heaven for their pre- ^^^^^^^H 




servation from a recent storm. 44x36. ^^^| 


117. 


Gipsies regaling themselves. 55 x 64. ^^^^^^^| 




^^^^^^1 


4- 


Hebe feeding the eagle of Jupiter 133 x 78. ^^^H 




^^M 


29. 


Meg MeiTilies. 33 x 30. ^^H 


117. 


The Evening Star. 38x45. ^^H 




" Star of descending night ! fair is thy light in the ^^^H 




^^^1 




The waves come with joy around thee, and bathe ^^^H 




thy lovely hair."— Osbian. ^^^H 


121. 


St. John in the Wilderness. ^^M 


289. 


A view of the sandbank chalybeate spring latelj ^^^H 




discovered in the Isle of Wight. 39 x 60. ^^^^^^| 


16. 






^^^^H 


5°- 


Venus chiding Cupid for having lost his bow and ^^^^| 




arrows with Ganymede at hazard. (From Prior's ^^^| 




" Cupid and Ganymede," p. 75.) 42 x 36. ^^^^| 


125. 


A landscape, with gipsies. 42 x 36. ^^^H 


228. 


Psyche, from the "Golden Ass" of Apuleius. ^^^^H 


k 


39 X 34- ^^^^^1 




t^ Ah 

f 5*. TV iie n w t tol Iktvin of the FbbenMn, who ■ 

w pptwt^ (A iMV0 been hMt opwib of « fiKt- 
n1|tM (» trnf tram Natwie, dMtcbed oa the 

^59. A rtew in the Mif^laad* of SeoUand. 34 * 2S. 
Seatrt or Bam«n Atrms, SnrFoiJi drKEEr- 
(830. 
^fi. tjttiiietpf. 
91. tlip l«le Mr, Fafk. 

lol, Sl^ P Btitirueolit, founder of tlic Woolwich (isllery, 
tof. ttljHlF* KniiiHliit llirlr trtil*. 
10^. tiUi'W llmiB fhiiir. Ui i\w Ulv of Wighl. 



■ 


APPENDIX 


1 


Tss^^^^B 




183.. 




^^1 


33 

1 


Hebe. 


DY 


m 


VIISS JESSUFS (AFl'ERWARDS LA: 




BEECHEY) EXHIBITS AT THE 




^^^^^^^M 




ROYAL ACADEMY. 




^^^^^M 




Miss A. P. Jessup, NoiiwicH. 




^^^^^M 




.787. 




^^^^^^^M 


462. 


Drawing. 




^^^^^^^M 


su 


Ditto. 




^^^^^^^M 


596. 


Ditto. 




^^^^^^^M 


<iS8. 


Ditto. 




^^^^^^^M 


662. 


Ditto. 




^^^^^^1 


Mk«. 


Bfkchky, 8 Georgk Strekt, Hanovek 


SnuABii:- ^^^^H 




MmCATURES 




^^H 




1795. 




^^1 


s°s. 


Portrait of a lady (Miss Briggs). 




^^^1 


539. 


A frame with five portraits (Miss Leake [0 


I- Locke], ^^B 




Mr. Hicks, Master Beechey, Miss Mc 


iriss 


^m 




BaUantyne). 






54' ■ 


Portrait of a gentleman <Mr. Lesley). 
1798. 




■ 


S;i. 


Portraits of Mias Leake, Miss R. Bannister, 


th„e ^M 




Miss Beechey s. 








Lady Beechey, 6 Gbeat Geohge Stheet, 


^^^M 




HaNOVEK SaUARE. 




^^H 




1799. 




^^1 


783. 


Portraits of Miss Leake, Mrs. Wheatly, 
Miss Boulton, and Lady Beecliey. 


Mr 

■ 


J 



^■1 


^^VVT^^^nHI^H^H^^^^^^^^^^I 


^^^^^4 


SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY ^^H 


^^H 


^H 


^^H 


Portrait of Miss A. D. Beechey. ^^^| 


^^H 


Mjss Beechey. ^^H 


^H 


EXHIBITS OF HICHARD BRYDGES ^H 


^^^B 


BEECHEY. ^H 


^^H 


Royal Academy. ^^H 


^^^^^1 52 DuBNFOHD Street, Stoneuousk, Plymouth. ^^| 


^^H 


H.M.S. Madagascar, off Gibraltar. ^H 


^^^f 


1833- H 
Experimeiital Squadron under Codrington, 1831. ^^H 


W 243. 


H.M.S. Pkaelm beating into Gibraltnr. ^^M 


^H 


Picking u]i a t-ime Duck (a timber ship). ^^H 


^^H 555- 


Dutch galliot in a fresh breeze in the North Sea. 


^^^H 


186a. 


^^H S9S' 


The day after Trafalgar [quotation from James's 
" Naval History "]. 


^^^^1 


1861. 


^^H 


The east coast of Greenland and steam yacht 




Far while employed surveying the route for 
the North Atlantic telegraph, under the com- 


L 


mand of Allen Young, Esq., F.H.G.S., 1860. 



APPENDIX 

1S63. 



285 



jckto 



550. The Bay of Biscoy [quotation, " The dismal w 
view."] 

1864. 

4(6. The Ecldystone Lighthouse, with H.M.S. Prince 
CoMort, ironclad, a sailing frigate. Trinity Board 
cutter, trawlers, &e., in the distance. 



419. 



"Ov 



1865. 
r the Bar " (ships in a gale). 



1866. 
RovAL Western Yacht Club, Plymouth. 
34. Destruction of H.M.S. Boanli/, by lire, off Monte 
Video, Feb. 1865. From sketches and personal 
information obtained from Captain Campbell and 
other officers who were present. 



650. A Lee shoi 



1867. 



2 Belukave SeuARE NottTH, MoNKsTowN, Co, Dublin. 

676. A water-logged and abandoned timber vessel being 
brought into Black Sod Bay, West of Ireland, by 
the coastguard, the natives in their "curraghs" 
{canvas- cove red boats) profiting by the occasion ; 
the cliff, upwards of 2000 ft., represented in the 
distance, forms part of the west coast of Achille 
Island. 



" The sea is His, and He nude it." 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 



3 Cohrk; Casti.e Terrace, Kiniistown. Co. Dubux. 
g8, " The only flag that freedom rears. 

Her emblem o'er the seaa. 
Is the flag that braved a thousand years. 

The battle and the breeze." 



1039, South Stack Lighthouse, Holyhead ; gale modera^ 
ing. 

1874. 

110 PifMBBOKE Road, Dublin'. 

1416. Death of Patemon (from Falconers " Shipwreck "Ji 

1S7S. 
S23. The Rescue. 

1877. 

LVNWOOn, ElXK\B0ROlGU PaIIK, WfS^roN-SUl-EB-MAU 

1339. North Polar Expedition, commanded by Captain 
Sir Geo. Nares. The most northern encamp- 
ment of the sledge party under Captain Mark- 
ham and Commander Parr, detached from H.M. 
ships Alert and DUcoveiy, May 12, 1876. hai. 
83 20" N. 

British Institution. 
1833 (Lieut. R.N.) 
285. English squadron in the Downs, iz x 15, 
295. Sketch near Hastings, 12x15, 
439. H.M.S, Madagaicar off Gihraltor, 36 x 40. 



287 



1834- 



313. Fishing-boats running into harbour, zi x 24. 

317. The dangerous situation of H.M. ship Fisgard, Cap- 
tain T. Byam Martin, endeavouring to weather 
the rocks off Ushant, having been embayed be- 
tween that and Abreuvac, and carrying perhaps 
the greatest press of canvas ever known under 
similar circumstances, zi x 24. 

439. The French brig La Muline driven on shore and 
destroyed by H.M. brig Racoon, Captain Bissel, 
off San Jago in the Island of Cuba. 39 >: 48. 



8. Shorten Sail! Price £21. 

5. Hooker, off Cork Harbour. £31 los. 

1859. 
o. " They that go down to the sea in ships, and occupy 
their business on great waters. These men see 
the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the 
deep."— Psalm cvii. 23, 24. £25. 

Society of BmnsH Artists, Suffolk Strk.kt. 
1834. 
3. Sea piece. 

lo. Sea piece, breesie freshening. 
19. H.M. ship Madagatcnr running into Malta Harbour, 

■835- 

15. Sea piece, Gibraltar Bay. 

17. View near the Landing Place, Malta; blowing a 
gale. 




;? ',. [•■■'-'rai^ -if 'he (""Wifrt^iw if Wi 
t-,.( P-.r*r3it of fhe Rdrt 'if 



2/;; P'lrfriTf if I larfy. 
T-'^ PiT*r*it if 3 larfr. 






^1- of r^^y Ufrtn 

iff 'if f, ToTOpWiTr, K*^, 



L 



■ 


w 

APPENDIX 


0.89 ^^H 




1826. 


^^1 


33S 


Portrait of a lady. 

1827. 


^^H 


221. 


Portrait of Lady Duberley. 


^^^^^^1 


a8i. 


Portrait of T. Pinkerton, Esq. 


^^^^^^1 


325. 


Portrait of W. Alcock, Esq. 

1828. 


J 


478. 


Portrait of Sir William Beechey, R.A. 




60;. 


Portrait of Captain Beechey, R.N. 
1832 [Calcutta]. 


■ 


393. 


Portrait of a. Hindoo lady [.' Hinda]. 




\ 


BarnsH Institution. 
.834. 


B 


214. 

S. 


Hinda. 42 X 36. 


London. ^^H 


R. Behchey, 26 Tavistock Sqitahe, 




1859. Royal Academy. 


^^^^H 


395- 
Hem 


Portrait of the artist. 


Cavendish ^^^| 


lY W. Beechey, 2 Henrietta Street, 




SQUARE. 


^^1 




1838. Royal Academy. 


^^^^1 


44S. 


Portrait of Mrs. Worthington. 

B.I. 1829. [18 Harley Street] 


m 


276. 


A view of part of Cyrene, consisting of the ancient ^^H 




monuments, and a distant view of the sea. ^^| 


i 


7SXIII. 


^^^1 



■ s 
Ji. 



If 



l*A 



I 






II 



: 



I. 



[No spology is necessary for sn exhaustive Iiulex ; I 
the exact scope of that which occupies the following 
pages may be briefly indicated. It comprises every proper 
name and every subject which may reasonably claim to 
render this book of use as a work of reference. The names 
(so far as they have been ascertained) of every person 
who sat to Beeehey is entered in the Index, and their 
engravers, along with the names of his friends and con- 
temporaries. Owners, past and present, are as a rule also 
indexed, except in the cases of many family portraits 
whose owners have the same surnames as those who sat to 
Beeehey. With reference to the Account Books now 
transcribed and published for the lirst time on pp. 221- 
S60, the names of those who paid for portraits are 
indexed, except in such cases where the husband paid for 
his wife's portrait, or the mother or father for those of 
their children. It was the custom to pay one instalment 
for a portrait at the first sitting, and the remainder either 
during the progress of the picture or when it was finished. 
This accounts for two and even sometimes three payments 
appearing on one page. Where such payments exceed 
one on a page, the number of entries is indicated by figures 
in parentheses. The names of fancy subjects and the 
titles of periodicals are printed in italics. The various 
entries in the Appendix are not indexed, as alt the por- 
traits by Sir William Beeehey, of which the names have 
been identified, are mentipned in the body of the book.],^ 




fs».f^ W,, fft, F«r yfi 




1^ w. »«». '*». 









>«. tan. !«) 



(Mn. C. SpCBca-;. 
«m, 55. 60, 91. M4. 



INDEX 293 ^1 


Beecbey, Frederick W., 1S4, 18a. 1S4. 


Dlakes, Mr., asj ^^H 


191. 19a 


Blakeslee. Mr. T. J., 74, 313 ^^H 




Blatnire, Geo., 319 ^^^H 


J50. 351. and Appkndix, 388-9 


Blayney. A., 199 ^^^H 


Ueechoy. H»rtiel(Mrs. Riley), vi., 146, 


mild Fiddler. 189- 190 ^^^1 






Beecbey, HenryW.. 19.184, 1B9, 190, 


Blucher, PHnce. 343 ^^H 


ass, andAppiiN[)ix.a89 


Bocquet, E., 103 ^^H 


Beeohey, Jane, 196 

Beechey. Lady (Anne Phyllis J essup). 


Bone. H, 54, 69, 83. 83,107- '54.>56. ^^H 


^^H 


vii., 7. e. 37. 71-3. 184-8. 189. >9o ; 


Borrell, Mrs., 199 ^^^H 


miniatures painted by. 184-6; ex- 


Bosanquel, Mrs. Stt Ives, Miss ^^^| 


hibils ai Royal Academy, a?, and 




Appendix, 383-4 


Boswonh, Lady. 134 *., 341 ^^^H 


Beechey. Miss (at Hilgayl, 1S9 


Boultan, M.. 67-8, 78. 136. 331 ^^^H 


Beechey. Richard B., 196, and Al-- 


Bourgeois. Sir F. 81 ».. 135-6 ^^^H 


PSNDIX, 384-8 


Bourlier. M. S^ 43, 7>. 74, 317 ^^H 


Beechey, S. R.. APPENDIX, 389 


Bowes. Miss. 303 ^^H 


Beechey. Sir William, birlb place and 


Boyce, Capt. and Master, 31 and »., ^^^H 


relalioni. 3; death, 178 ; enhibiis 




Bl ihB Royal Academy and else- 


Boydell. Aid.. 7;. 105 ^^H 


where. 10-17B; and Appendix; 


Braham family. 245. a54 ^^^H 


first picture. 9 ; knighted, 6i; mar- 




riages, 7-6. 184 : portraits of him- 
self; viii., 37, 177, i8e-9 ; porlmit- 




^^1 


painter to the Qii«n, 4a: prices. 


British Institution, S9-90, ito, 134, ^^^H 


141 1 residences in London. 17, 36 : 


148, i6o. 169. 174. 33a ■ 




British Museum, 61 ' 


whole lengths. 10-11; sales at 


Broderip, Francis, 319 


Christie's and Rainy'i, 31,4145, 


Bromley. J, 136 


6s, 70. 139. '3'. '35. '38. 15B. '67. 


Bromley. W., 81 


171. 173. 173. '77. 17a ; "nd Appen- 


Brooks, Master, 139, 339 (a), 340 
Browne, Mr. (or Brown). ^, 336. 229. 


dix, 361-383 


Beechey. William. «n., 3-.- 


330(3), 335, 341. 343 
Buccleueh. Duke of, 79-80 


Beechey, WiUlam Nelson. 19s 


Beggars al a Collage, 79 




BeU, E., 75 


Buckingham. Duke of, 79-So 


Btile AittmiUe. La, 54, 71. 80 


Buckingham Palace. 53.77 


Bendish. Mr, 358 13) 




Bennel, MrSn 333 




Beresford, Lord, 139, 343 


Bulkeley, Lord and Lady. 199, 234, 


Betesford portrails. 158-9, 176-7, 


330 


338 (3), 343. 344. 355 


Bulwer. Genl.. 7s 


Beres(ord,S.tJ...5a 


Buicb. Mrs.. 41 


llemard. Lady, 133 «, 134, 14' (a) 


Burdett-Coutts. Baroness. viL. 173.001 


Bernard, T-, 61, 333. 234, 338 


Burford, 3. 5 
Burgess, Mr.. 8. 359 


Berwick, Lady, 134.341.(3! 


Berwick, Mrv, 251, (a), 353 


Uuroaby. Dr..a33 


Bestiand. C, 308 


BurreU. Udy. 8i'...63 


Binnoch, Mrs-. 334 


BurlocLord, 48, 313 


Blaaw. Mr., 334 


Bulton, Mi.. 358. 259 


Blacktrarne, J., 198 




Bladcs,John. 198, 140.341 


' -Cabinet Of MODBKN Akt."5.ii, 




SIR WILUAM BEEjCHEY 

. ■_->. n. AM ■.. I o m M . I mi t fr »si 

->aj.- ^yt^ta. 1 CI— . >to.a5i 



I'u^ vf. ^ n- ■'fc *o7- 

ffS, l^j. i>4 qMUi.'X> 



1wH«ti«.B>t 



'CaniMrtcm. Uuml Jk , _ 

OilT, John, 199 
<!ft«ilor, txty, aj8 
Oiwilur. Lonl. (4, xt^ 



VMVtwKf -^unni^ 411';^^-' J. Ufa 

Choicr. lUiliopi ot jMf 1^1 
ClKii«ritt]'l. 1U>1 C. j» 




Ci»wlgrd.HcT.T.S3 

Cieuir. jvbii, tj 
''iiiirh MMiiTiii 
Ctuwdar. Jttbu. IT3 
Ciuwt. Mm. ■■? 

OuuilMUnil. liiikr BBil 
10.77- •>«.".■. 




INDEX 295 ^^B 


Dalkeith. Lord, 37, laa. 223 (copies) 


Edwards. Col., 31G, 359 ^^^| 


Darby. H, d'Ealerre. 30I 


Edwards. W. C. 133 ^^^H 


Darby. Jobn.joi 


Egerton, }., it8, 3.33. 333. 358 (a) ^^^^1 


Dttshwcx>d.SirH,aM, 347 


Egenon.SirP..a5e ^^H 


Difvis. Mr., ato 


Egremonl. Earl of. loi. lOa ^^^H 


Davy. Dr, iU 165, 134 


Elizabelh Augusta. Prince s), 53, 53 ^^^H 


Dawe's " Life oJ Moilsmd," 4i-a 


Eliiabetb. (Macess. ja, aa6 ^^^H 


Dawnay. Hon. P.. 49 


Erskine, Lady L., 331 131 ^^^1 


Erskine. Lord. 143-4. 34S ^^^H 


I>ebaeue, Elisba, 163 


Erskine, Mr.. acj, 3U ^^^^^1 


Ddade.J.T..46 


Esle. Rev. C. , 170 ^^^1 


UeUtre t-. Copley, 76 


EuiDftan Magaxini. 78, 140. aW) ^^H 


Delawarr, Lady, 153, 348, 334 


Evans's " Catalogue of Prims," tja. ^^^H 


Doborough. Mrs., 357 


aoo, an ^^H 




Evar.s.Mrs. H. N.,176 ^^H 


Db Vismes. Miia. 47 


Eveleigb. Rev. W.. 30a ^^H 


DeviH, Mrs. and Mils, 353 (a) 


.firH/i»a,3.9 ^^H 


Dcvonshiie. Duchejs of, 35 


Evming Star, 147 ^^^^H 


Dibdin. Charles, aoi 


Every, Mr., 355. 358 ^^^H 


Dickoni. Mn., 116. 134. 113, aja 


Exmoiitb, LoFd. 1^ ^^H 


Dinctor, Thi. 110 


^^H 


Diion. KeDiielh, aoi 


Farington, Joseph, 94 ^^^^1 




Fawcetl.SirW..S7 ^^H 


Donkin. Genl.. 61 


Feardall [?], Mr., aji ^^^H 


Donna Mincia. 31 


Fenner, ao-t ^^^^H 


Dorict. Ducbesj or, 148. 254 


FnU. 10 ^^m 


Douglas. Bishop. 31 aai 
Dimglas. Sir W? HT. aoi 


Ferguson, laiues. isi. 3)6 ^^^^H 


DowdHweil. Mmrs.. 153 


Fincb family picture, aoa ^^^H 


Dow des well. Mr., 354 


Ftnden E., 47 ^^^H 


Downman. J., copy after, 143 <3| 


Fishmongers Company, 105, ia6. ^^^H 


Drake. F.. 301 




Drapers' Company, aaj 




Dublin, Corporation 01, 334 


J'lcra, Si o, 108 ^^H 


Dublin Society, 333 


Fogg, engraver. 77 ^^H 


Ducie. Earl of. 33 


Foley portraits. 46. *«. 7a ^^H 


Duckwonh. Sir J. T. R. ao». 333 


Folkestone, Viscounless, 76 ^^^^H 


DuiTerin. Lady, 339 (a). 130 ixi, 333 


Forbes. Lord and Lady, 334. 357 ^^H 


Dulwich Gallery, 66. 83 «, 135 


Ford ChUdren, 40-41 ^^H 


Duraergue, C, 169 


Forester.CandUdyK., 153.946 (a) ^^H 


Duncan tion. Lady, 33 


^^1 


Duncombe, Mrs.. 375 (u) 


Forin, Mr.,a3i(aj ^^H 


Durulas. C. 30a, a/g (31 


Forsyib, Thos.,303 ^^^H 


Dundas. Ll.-Gen., 57. jS 


Fctlunt Ttllir. flu, ao. 34 ^^^1 


Donkarton. R. 89. 106, aoi, an 


Fostti-, Mr.. aa4 ^^H 


Dun.>,Mr.,a3S 


Foster. RL Hon. J., 339. 333 (») ^^H 


Dyke. Mr,.aa9 


Fowlft, Capt.,asi ^^ 




Eraser, Sir J. F., 303 


Eardley. Mr., 330, 3+6. 347, 349 


Free. P, 137. 337 


Earls portraits. 49 


Freeling. Sir F„ 300 


Earle. Sir J.. 107 


Freeman, engraver, aoo 


Earlom. R.. 7S 


FriThTM^-V^^: ^ 


Edinburgh Exhibilion, 75 



296 



SIR WILLIAM BEECHET 






, 6^, 69, 70, 



Frogmore Palace, 5311 
Fuller, Miss. 154, 351 <2> 

FukU, H„3I. 13. IDI, 102 

Gainshokough, T., 
Gatnbier porlraita. i 

336. "37 
Gardner. Sir Alan. 303 
GarricV Club, 66 
Geare,Mr. W.A.,317 
GtnrUman'i Alagaitni, 

65. 163. 169. 174 
George III., 56. 5 

George. Prince of Wales (George IV.I, 

Sa. Si 57, 6a-63. I3i. 334. Wa, 

"44.»4S 
Geremia, engraver, 77 
GifTord, Miss, aaB 
Gilbert Mr. Davis. 303 
Gilpin, S„ 70 
Ci/jMt,i.9. 174 
Ci^iy Forluiu TtlUr, 34 
Gloucesler, Duchess of. 141-3. aaB 
Gloucester, Dukes of, 107. 119, 14S- 

9. 164. 335 (a). 3j6 (3), 237. 23S, 

333. 337. 339, 346, 347 
Godolphin, Lord and Lady, 303 
GotdSTDid.SirJ-.yi 
Goldsmilh, Miss, 309 
Goldsmilhs' Company. ao6. 339 
Goldsworthy, Major-Genl., s? 
Gooch, Mrs., 67, 34a, 343. 353. 354 
Goodrich, Mr., ssa (3), 356 la), 357 
Gordon, Mr., 243 (3). at 
Gosling porlrails, 7a, 

ajo. ass 
Gosse. Mrs. P. H., 303 
Graham, Mr., 143131 
Graham. Sir B., i3d, 337, 338 
Granlln, Lady. Sit Beecbey, Cbai- 

lolie E. 
Grantley, Lord, 83, 84. 159. 167, 169, 



Grcnville, Mr., 243 
Yille, Mr.. 339 
Grey, Col., 140. 339 
Grey, Mr., 343 

Gudph Ethi^tioa. 43. 105, 109, 141 
Guildhall. London, los* 
GuiUemard, John, 303 
Gwyn. Mrs., 71 



4 (a). 146. 



■er.46 



G «* 

Graves. Mr. > „, 

Gray. Capl. 2as,"'a46 

Grealbead. 84 

Green. Valeniine. Bo, 333 

Green wicb Hospital. 163 

Greenvrood, Mr. and Mrs., 39, 73, 73, 

335.347 
Grealell, Mt„ 147 (3) 



Hail 



. Mr., 



359 (3 



epj, Mts..330 
Hale,Mrs.. aat 

Halford. Sir Hy., iiB, 131, St. 
HaU, Mr.. 30.343 
Hall, Mr.and Mtv, aiS. 339 
Hall, T.. 34 
Hallybunon. D.G.. 55-6 



Han 



.337.338 



Hamilton, Lady, 1 

Hamilton, Sit W., 78 

Hamilton, W.. 50 

Hampton Court. 60 

Harding's "Portraits of the Roj«l 

Family," 74, 77 
Haidy, Copt.. 304 
Haidy, T., 107. 199, 307 
Harkness, Mis., 176 
Hatkwright j^?], Mr. and Mn., ^4 I 






Harrison. Mr.. 343 



Hatch. Master, ^. 

Haydon. B. R., Ill 

Hailewood, F.. 307 

Head. Mr, J. M.. 89 

Heavi<iide. Mr., S3 

Hcbt. B3-4. 116. 138. 148, 334. Bif V 

Heberden, W.. 3(^ ■ 

Heins. 18 

Henimins, Mr., 357 

Herbert, Charles (and Master C), 3a. 



INDEX 



197 



Herbert, Mrs., 333 

Herbert, Rev. C. K., 33 

Herbert, Sir Robert G. W., 33 

Htn, Poor Bay. iakt this Ha' fenny, 

vii.,40 
Hesketh for Hesketts), Mr., 331. 333, 

336 W 
Hill, Lord. 133. 338. 339 
Hill (Mis.), and Cnild,73, 304 
Hillingdaa. Lord. S19 
Hillon. Mias, Sa 
Hincbcliff, J.G., 78 
Hodges, C. H., aoo 
HodgM. Mr.. 48 
Hodgells, T.. 75, soo 
Hodgson, Mr, 353 {3) 
HodsoD, Mri- 335, 336 
Hall, W., 113,130 
Hood. Sir S.. and Lad;, 103, 324 
Hood.ViKoum and Viirounless, 173 
Hope, " AnoalBstius." 67 
Hopkins, Mrs. F. A., 1B9 
Hoppner, Jobn, 9, 35. 40. 45, so. S't 

153.347 (a), 3SS 
Horne, Miss, 76, 175 
Houllon. Aid.. 331) 
Howard, Miss. S3i 
HaddlesloD, Mr., aiB, 339 (a) 
Hudson, Mr., ao 
Hume. Sir A.. 933 
Hunter, Dr., iii 

I DLS, Mrs. and Master, 304- 5 
India Office. 116,138 
/nfanl ffimlti. Tht, 65 
Inglis. Mr., ajo 
Innes. Mrs., 176, 191 
Jrii./uHgttndAUyone.n 
Irwin. Mr. or Mrs.. 333 

Ives! Miss (Mrs. Bosanquel), 39 

lACItS0N,Mr. H.J., 193 
Jackson, Mrs., 193 
Jackson. Rev. H., 194 
James, Miss or Mr„ 357 (a) 
Jerdan'i "Gallery." 8s. lit. 113, 135, 

139. 131, 303 
Jerningbam, Sir C 35^ 



lohnaon. Mrs. C. ; 

[ohnslone, Mrs„ r. 
les, Mrs. Cham] 



,187 



Kebk, Miss, 333 

Kemble, J. P.. 66 

Kensington Palace. 60 

Kent, Ducbcss of and Princess 

Vidotia, IS6-7, as3. 354 
Keni. Diikeor, 139-130 135,153,334, 

339, 339. 34a, 341 
Kil derive, b., 133 
K-ing, Hon, Cap.. 340 
King, Joshua, 171 
King, Lady, Bib 
King, Sir Rd.. 3o6 
Kingslbrd. Mrs,, 195 
Kingston, Cap,, 359 
Kits, Mr., as9 
Knight's ■■Gallery," 78 
Knoi, Mr., aaa 

LadbROKR, Mrs,. 177 

Lake, Viscount, and Son, 306 

Lamb, Dt. John, 167 

Lane, J . B., 1C9 

Lane, Thos.. 206. 239 (al 

Langlands \t Longinn 

Langley. Mrs., 108, 334 

Lansdowne. Marquess of, 328 

Lavimia Jfttuming/nHH Gieaninf.ii 

Law, Bishop. G. H., 133, 1^7, 338 

Lawless. Robin, 3o6 

Lawrence, Sir T. , 11.35,36,40.50. 

.Si,66. 93. 183 
l-each. Sir J., 150, 346 (3l, 256 ["The 

Vice-chancellor "] 
Leak, W,^ 144, 350, 351 
Leake, Miss, 54 
Lealhes, Major, aoS 
Lecongeld, Lord. 80-81, 160, 168 
Lee. Miss, 347 (3) 
I^eeds, Duke of, 203 
Leeds, Mis. iia, 22B, 231 
Lefon, Mis.. 337 
Leicester, Sir ).. 119, 332. 337 
Le Mesurler, llios,, 47 






k 



^ 498 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY ^| 


^^H LenthBll Gallny, 4 


Marine Society. Si -^^1 


^^B ^slie' C- K.. IS, <70 


MBr|oribanks,Mr.,as6 ^^ 


^^M Lewes, Mr. or Mrt.. <ni 


Maikham. Admiral, 123. 229. 93a 


^^^H Lewis. Mr., 333, 334 


Marshall, Mrs- 907 


^^^H Lercester. Hugh, 150, 154, 248, 249. 


Mary. Princess. 5a. 53, 346 


^^H a5a{a) 


Marylebone. PAnsh of, 243. 247 


^^H Li^ht. Mr.. .24 


Martin, Mrs. W., 355 (3} ^^ 


^^H Z,iyu/r, 166 


MartiDeau.P.M..i67 ^H 


^^H LiflDell, J^ sea., i H. 


Masb, Mr.. 174 ^^H 


^^^H Linwood. Miss, 307 


MaiseyMaiiiwuineSale.83 ^^M 


^^H Lillledale. T., 307 


Ma(her.Mr..24S ^H 


^^^H Unit GUantr, The. 1G7, 19^ 


Maltheirs, Mrs.. 335. 236, 948 ^^^1 


^^^H Lititelon, Mrs., 249, aja 


Mayhew, Rev. S M. , 75 ^H 


^^H LJviiis, G«o.. 307 


Maynard, LacIy.2so ^^^M 


^^H Lloyd, Mojor. 3. 


Maynsrd, Lonl. 13a. 235 ^^^1 


^^V Loflus [or Loftie]. Mr. or Mr^ 131 


Meares. Jobn, ao8, 223 ^^^B 


1^^^ LdndoD HospilHl, 107. aa6 


ifa Mtrrtlia. 147 ^^H 
Mellon, Mis^. S6-8S. 225. 399 ^^H 


\ Long. GenL. 238 


Long. H. L, 6s 




Long, Mr, 339, 140 
Long. Mrs. h.., 65. 353 


Merry. Mrs, 308 ^^H 


Muangtr. The. ii>. 114 ^^H 


Longlands [? Langlaiuls]. Mr. and 


Meux portraits, 39. 47. 49. Ml ^^H 


Mrs.. 323, 23, 


Meyer, C. F.. 209 ^^H 


Loudan and Moiia, Counless of, 343 


Meyer. H., 139, 161. 199. aog, >i^^^H 


Louvre. The. 219 


Meyrick, MrTllsi (3) ^^H 


Lowndes portraits, 163, 163, 256 13), 


Micblurst [?]. Mrs, 238 (>) ^^H 


357- 338, 259 (2) 


Miles. E., 24 ^H 


Lowther, Viscounl, 255 


Military Eihibilion, 73 ^^M 


Luplon. T., 173, 174 


Mina-ab-ul-Kassaa. 115-6 ^^^H 


Lu3hfngton.Mis1.57 


Monarctis of Great Urilain, ^^^H 




^H 


Lyceum, 27 


Money. Major, 21. 23 ^^ 


Lysail [or LysaghlJ. Capt,. 234 (2) 


Monk al ki, DeiMioHt. no 


LyoD. Mrs.,252, 2S3 


Monlttgue, Duke of, 33, 37. 93a, 293 


Macartnev, Lord, 37. 222 


(copfes of) 
Montagur, Lady [7 M.L axt 


Mttcketiiie. 68 




Macldin, C. 207 


Monrague. Lady £.,929 _^^H 


Mackworlh-Praed, Miss, sii 


MoDUgue, Lord F.. 39 |^H 


MacNabb, Mrs., 223 




Macready, Mrs., 195 


Mcnilly .Wim>r. 5. 9, 39. 3a. If^^H 


McClintosh. Mrs., 251 


Magdalen Hospital. 213. 243 


54. 60, 6a. 71. 76, 84. >M. «>7^^H 


Maiiland. Mrs., aaa 


Mgray. Mrs.. 353. 2 ^^H 
Morgan. Mr. J. 1>., 36 ^^M 


MaiendicH. W., 85-6.335 




Morgan, Mrs, 953 ^^^H 


Malcolm, Mt. W. K.. 106 


Moning CkroHuU, 27 ^^^^| 


Maliby. Dr. E., 174 


Mortimer. Thos.. 209 ^^^H 


Mallby. G.,23 


Morion, Lord and Lady. 37, am ^^H 




Moser, Mary. loi ^^H 


Manners-Sutlon. Bishop, 44 


Mulgiiive. Lord. ioBh., 109, xA- ^^^1 


Manning, Mrs_2S7 (2) 


Muskfit. Miss, 165 ^^H 


Margali. ftta nrar.^ 


Myers family pictuit, 299. 330 ^^H 



INDEX 



National Gullery, London, 205 
Nalional Gallery, Scoilood. iii 
Naltonal Ponrai I Gallery, 46, 1051., 

118, I30, 135, 130, 177, aio. 313 
Naval Exhibitions, 105, 10&, 166. 179, 

Nayldr, Sir Geo., 165 

Neal, Sr H. a. 309, aa< 

Nelion, Lord. 18.68.74-6,335 

Nelson, Rev. E.. 73-3 

Newbury, Countess of, 309 

New Uallery, Bo 

Noel. Hon. Louisa, 146 

Nod. Mrs. W., 146. 345, 146 

NoeLSIrC, 350. 351 

Noliekens, J., Sin., iao-133, ij6n^ 



Norreys, Lord, is 



Nor 



1. Mr„ i 



), 240 



OIP. J,70B. 

Nonhwick, Lord, 71 *. 

Nonon. Hon. Mrs.. 168-9. 'S^ 

Norton. W. F.. 173 

Norwich, s. 7, 17-36, 74, 163, 164, 

165 
Norwich, Bishop of. Ste Manners- 



Oddie family vl., 39, aaa 

Oddie, Mr., 333 

Oniey, C. S^ 164, 337 

Orford, Lord, ai 

Ormond, Conntess of, io8ir., 109, as 

Osbotn, J. T., 155 

Oibome, Lord and Ladv F., 310 

Oauna chitdren. 310 

Owen, Mils. 17S 

Owen of Tooks Court. 6 

Owen, Sir J. and Lady, 135. 340, 34: 

aS". 354 
Oxeoden, Sir H.. 333 

PALXT, Rev. W., aio. 339 
Palmer. Mr,, 34r (3}, 343 
Paoli, Gen.. 333 
Pflrlt.T.. 38 
Parke, John, 177 
Parker, 3)5 
Parker. Sir W., los 
Parry [?Perryl, Lieul., 350 
Paruidge, }., 18 



Payne. Miaa M. A., aio 

Payne, Mr.. 33s (3) 

Peachey, Capt.. and Miss, 135.340(3), 



Pereival partrails, 104-5, 337, 343, 

345.356 
Perry. Lieut., 248 (3) 
Persiari Ambassador, 115-6, 118, 333 
Pelligrew's " Biographies," 304 
Peliyi {or Pettil), Mr., 330 (3) 
Peiworth, 80. awalsoiLecontield, Ld. 
Peveril, Miss. 31a 
Peyton, Mrs., 357 
Pfungsl, Mr. H.. 300.319 
Philhpa,G. H., 171 
Phillips, Sir Faude!-.i43, 303 
Phipps children, loS 
Phipps. Mr.. 340 
Picart, G. C.,78, laj 
Picton, Sir T_ 130-136, 341 
Pierey, Rev.W.,sii 
" 111, Mrs, copy after Downman, 



13(») 

311, Ur., 15; 



,343.343 



Platoff, Hell 

PJowdcn portraits, 171-3, 349, 350 

Pole, Sir C an, 348, 349 (Sii "" 

Poole) 
I'OTChesier portraits, 311.393, 999 
Powell. Mrs., 331. 33S 
Poynder, Mr. and Mrs.. 353 (3) 

Preston, Rey. i_. H., 358 
I'reston.Sir K.,and Mary. 130, 330 

335. 341 (3), 349 
Price, James, 134 
Prince, Key. ]., 311,943(3) 
f^llUwilI, Ssiix. 110 
Fiycit. 8a-5, 90, 171, 178, 195 
"-"" CHaraelers, 5, 6, 8. 64, 71, 1 



190, 3IO, 314 



Puller 



ty.V 



»ast 



' 30O SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY 


QUILLEX, J.P,. 216 


St. Albass, Duchess nee Meilon. 

Miul 
SI. John in Ikt Wildtr^^iii. 147. 148 


Radnor, Earl of, 76 


Raeburn. SirHy..iSo-i 


SI. John lie Baftitl. 65, 339. 340 


Raikes, Mrs. ]. M.. 3.3, 335 (a) 


SI. gadiguni'sAttey. 79 


Ranelegb, Laily. m 


,S(. Swilhiafi Ckair. 16B-9 


Ranelegh. Lord, aji 


St. Vincent. Earl of, 75. 89, J03. 


RaDsome, T„ 24 


104-7, >79-'Ba. ao?, ai8. »»+ {3)- 


Raphael. Mr. E, G., 187 


Salisbury. Marquis of. 70. B6 


Rttvenaworlh, Lord, 315 


Reade, Col,, 336, 253 


Salomon. J. P.. 3.4 


Reade porlraila, aia-3.Ji3S (»)■ =37 12) 


Salte, W., 133, 33s (3), 336 ^_| 


R=admg, MiM.asiU) 


Sandby, Mr.. 177 y^N 


Stia^a. 76 


Sandby, P„ vi, 29. 33. .84 ^H 


SKording Angel. TAe.s^ 


Saiidby. T., vi-. 39, 40 ^H 


Redgrave, K. and S., 13 


Sandrord. Mr.. 134. 137 ^H 


Reeve,MiasL.J.,!ro4 


Say. W..83. 14a. 14S. 149. 164, a^^H 




199,301.303,311 ^^^H 


Bevoull, John, 313 


Scarlett, Mr.. 351. 353 ^^^H 


Reynolds, Sir J.. 7, 8, 11, 16, 17, 3(1. 


Scharf, Sir Geo., 198 ^^^B 


37. 70-7' ".1 "S, I9>. a^ 359 


Scbombere. Capt. C. M.. 166 ^^^| 


Reynolds, S. W., ag, 150, i7a-3. 


Scriven, E., 80, S6. 139, 143. 165 ^^H 


a 16 


Scudamore. Sir C, 176 ^^H 


Rhodes (or Rothes), Mr„ 258. asg 


Sedelnieyer, M., 84, aoi, 009, 3i»i^^H 


Riddle. Mr., as? 


Seguier, P. F., iG ^^M 


Ridley. W..S4.207 


SelMy. Lord. 135 ^^H 


Rigaud, J. F., letters (rom. qaelstg. 


Serrei, D., 31 ^^H 


Rignall, Mr., ajs 


Sharp. M.. 19 ^H 


Riley. Mrs., Ti,. .46. '9= 


Sharpe, Mrs., 176 ^^H 


Robarts, Miss E., 176 


Sharpe, W.. 68 ^H 


Roberts, Mr.. =35 


Shee, Sir M. A., 13, 136-7, 170 ^^M 


Robenson. Miss. 250 


Sheflield, Earl of, 1S5 ^^M 


Robiason. H..111 


Sheldon. ]., ai. 33 ^^H 


RobinsoD. Mr., 31 


Shelley children, 314-5 ^^H 


Robinson, Mrs.. 7 in. 


Sheridan. Mrs.. 8. 359 ^^H 


Romney, Earl of. 80, Br n. 


Siddons. Mn.. 45-6 ^^H 


Romney, G., 11, 69, aio 


Sidmoulb, Lord. 59. 315 ^^H 


Rasalie and Lutin. 38 


Sievier. R. W..143 ^^H 


Rose, Geo.. ai3 


SigD, George and Dragon. S ' ^^H 


Rothes (or Rhodes), Mr.. 358, ajg 


Simeon. E. and).. 338 ^^H 


Rothschild, Mm. , 357 


Simeon. Mr.. 33G, 337 ^^H 


Rothwel!. R., 189 




Rous. Lord and Lady. «. 214, 233, 


Simpson, lobn, 315 ^^H 
Simpson, Mrs., 333 ^^H 






Sitwdl, Sir Gea. ai6 ^H 


Roxby. Miss, 47, 48 


Skelton, Mr.. 140 ^^H 


Royal Academy, bandby's -History," 


Skelton,W,ioS. 109. 135. 199, rt^H 


la, aS 


Skirrow. Mr., 334 ^^H 


Rudd, Mr.. ai4 


Skottowe, Mrs., 79 ^^H 


Ruspiol, Cbev..9, 10 


Slade, Mr., 34G. 350 ^H 


Riiisel],!. W.. 79.a«(3) 
Russell, Lord J., 198, 333 




337(3) ^^1 



INDEX 301 ^^1 


Smirke. R., .3 


Thomson. 78, 140. 204 ^^| 


Smilh, Ashlon, 15*, ji6, i)3, 249, 359 


Thorpe, Aid.. 350 ^^H 


Smith. a,_s9 

Smith. J. Chaloner,as.39''. 


Tibbll. Mr^. and child. 254, (3), 35G ^^H 


Tima. The. 14. 46. aoS ^^M 
Tomklns. P. W., 131 ^^H 


Sroilh.J. R.,aoo 


Smitb,Mr„a93 


TorHs [?1. Mr.. 33B. 339 ^^1 


Smith, Mrs. T_ an 


Tower. Capt., 939, 340 ^^^H 


Smitb. Sir C^ 146. 347 




Sdow, Mra. F.,ai6 


Tovmley. 48 ^^^| 


Soane, Mrs., ni 


Townshend, Lord, 19 ^^^H 


SocieljrofArlisls, 19 


Tracy, Hon. Hennelta. aiy, 324 ^^^^^| 


Somerset, Duke of. 171 


Tracy, Lord, 44, 217 ^^^H 


Stmtriel Houst Gatllli. 1 83 


Trafford. Mr. E. K., 317 ^^H 


Somerville, Lord, 61, 154 


Tredecrofl. C. 81 ^^^H 


Sophia of Gloucester. Princess, Bo, 


Tresham. H. , 94 ^^^1 


Soutic)'. Dr_ 177 


Trinity House, 173 ^^^H 


Tiolter, J..64';.334 ^^H 


Sparlte, B. E., 171, a+3. =45 


Tra(ter.Ml5S,a56 ^^H 


Spencer, C, 190, 356 


Trowbridee, »ir T., 217 ^^^B 


Splcer. Mts..B6 


Turner. Charles. 86. ioo,i3o, 138,155, ^^^1 


Spielmuin. Sir I.idore, vi., 192 


158,303,303,306 "^ ^H 


Stafford. Marquis of, no 
SlainiM.SirW..Bl 


Turner. Dawson, 7, 18, 23, 115 ^^^H 


Turner, Mr.. 257 ^^^H 


Stanley, Lady, 347, 348 


Turner, Rev. Mr,, 249 ^^^^^| 


Stanley, Sir Thos.. 345, 248 (a) 


Turaer.SirG. R. 311.214. 33G ^^^H 


Slaveley, Lady. 151 


T»riss, H.. 46 ^^H 


Stephen, Mrs. 0. L.. 304 


Twislton [?J. Miss, 349 ^^^H 


Stephens, Sir P., 48, 351 


Tyrone, I^rd, 323 ^^^^H 


Stephens. S.,ai6.aai 




Stephenson, Col.. 349 


Una. Ladf as. 154 ^^^H 


Stevenson. Admiral. J17 


United Friars of Norwich, 34 ^^^H 


Stewart, Miss. 346 


Universal Magatini. 68 ^^H 


Slocks. U 8s 


Unthank,Col.. 164 ^^^| 


Slopford. Lord, 37 


Usher.Capt., 168 ^^^H 


Storer, Mrs. C, 176 




StomlL Lord, viii. 


Van Dyck, sketch of (or by). 357 ^^^H 


Slow-in-lhe-WoId. ■; 




Slrachey. Dr.. 9. 10, 44. aai 


r«.-ifl-rfC«/<rf,8i-.,9o,.i8-9,i6o. ^H 


Stradhroke, Earl, 49, 132 


144 ^^H 


Stuart, Miss. 333, 345 


Vernon. Mr.. 258 ^^M 


SuUiran, Mr.. 237 


Vicars. Messrs., 3Q4 ^^H 


Susioc Duke of, 74. 124, 129H., 3or. 


Vice-chancellor, i.e.. Sir John Leach ^^H 


133 «., 134. a4a 241. 247 


Victoria Exhibition, 107, 149, 156 ^^H 


Syroonds, Dr., 44, 46. 81. 232 


Victoria. Queen, 156 ^^H 


Symonds, or Symmons. J. and Mrs., 


Vincent. Mr., 331 ^^B 


161, ita. 333 {3), 333 






WADT);NCTON.Mrs.,333 ^^^1 


Talbot dk Malhide. Lord, 77 


Wagsian; C. E. 78 ^^H 


TalnelL The Misses, 335 (a) 


Wailhman, Mr., 234 (a) ^H 


Temple, Lady. 79 


Waldegrave. Lord and Lady, 80, 155 ^H 


Tennanl.SirC.,3i». 


Waller. The Misses, 318 ^^H 


Tbomason. Mr„ 337 


Wal1is,Mr.,44 ^^H 


Thompson, Mr.. 336,338 


Wmnemaker, Mr. R„ 312 ^^^H